RWBY: The Alter Verse
by Crowlerj
Summary: RWBY: Alter Verse is an alternative retelling of the story of RWBY. The origin of Remnant and many of its characters has been slightly changed to tell a much more mature story. Topics like Death, Discrimination, Sex, and Violence will be covered. Enjoy this bizarre tale. Feedback is appreciated, as it is the only thing that will fuel this fiction's creation.
1. A Rose by any Name

...Legends...

...Stories...

...scattered through time...

Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that we are remnants, byproducts, of a forgotten past. The shards of history are scattered to remind them that we are all of the same fabric, the cosmos, under a shattered beacon that unites us all. It was not always this way. Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness - creatures of destruction - the creatures of Grimm - set their sights on man and all of his creations. These forces clashed, and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning man's brief existence to the void. However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. This power was appropriately named "Dust," a gift from the soil, the ashes of remnants. Nature's wrath in hand, man lit their way through the darkness, and in the shadow's absence came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life. But even the most brilliant lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone... darkness will return. An eternal cycle, a story of death and rebirth, the reincarnation of the beginning of all things.

...one day, it will end...

.

.

.

It was dark in the city, hardly a soul at all walking the streets, so early in the morning. But things were almost always peaceful behind the protected walls of Vale, a city so close to the forces of good. At least, that was what anyone in the Kingdom of Vale would say, more or less. Yet, in the darkness, just outside of a small shop that happened to be open at late and early hours, a man in a beige coat and a black hat strolled with a gang of miscreants following his way, a cigar freshly lit in his lips, and a smile crossing his cheeks. In his sight on the other side of a road was the little shop, Dust Til Dawn. It was a clever name, but unwise to advertise its business in the Dust Trade. Dust was the pinnacle of mankind's power, as it was once its only natural resource to protect it from the beasts that stalked the outskirts of the Kingdom of Vale, the Grimm. These days it was no easy task to obtain such things at a low cost; but tonight, would be his lucky day.

"Alright! Alright! I'm tired fellas, and I got a pinched nerve in my neck, and a massage waiting back at the hideout, so let's just get this little raid over with, Hm!?" his agitation was apparent, tapping his cane against the concrete in impatience.

"Roman," said one of the men in black suits and sunglasses, "how do we know there ain't a bunch a guards in there, right now?"

Roman grimaced, swinging the end of his cane into the man's cheek, leaving a bruise, "Don't call me Roman again. It's Sir, or your highness maybe." he shrugged and raised his voice an octave. "It's just an old croak in there, perfectly innocent little pop shop. Now stop whining and follow me!"

As the man recovered and rubbed his cheek, and as Roman walked furiously toward the little shop, they prepared for a small heist.

…

Meanwhile, inside of Dust Til Dawn, a girl with a red cowl sat at the book section, reading through a weapons magazine, eager excitement clear on her expression. She was alone, the old man at the register allowing her to read freely as long as she didn't stir trouble. Indeed, it was the perfect hour: quiet, cold, a little smelly from the dry snack section. It was a nice break from the long journey she had taken, which was nearly done. As she read the magazine in one hand, she held her trusty weapon beside her on the floor, Crescent Rose, a gun scythe made by herself and with few equal counterparts to match its brilliance.

"Ooooo!" she hopped with her butt on the floor. "The weapons here are so much better than the ones at Signal!" suddenly she gasped when a picture of a customizable semi-automatic rifle caught her eye. "So PRETTY!"

Her left eye flashed with white light, and she let out a light scream as she covered her face. The light nearly penetrated the entire shop, but she managed to stop herself just in time for it to pass as a flashlight of sorts. The old man peered over the aisle, and the Red-Cowled girl jumped up from the floor with her hand still over her eye.

"Sorry!" she waved, her cape following along, knocking over a few cans on a shelf, her catching them before they hit the floor and awkwardly placing them back in place. "It won't happen again!"

The old man laughed, charmed by her quirkiness and high pitched voice. She sat back down on the floor, pulling her hand away from her face, opening her eyes and looking around with strain.

"Great!" she pouted. "Now I'm blind again."

She could see well enough from her right eye, but the left was filled with a silver haze in her vision, a stinging sensation emanating from behind her eyeball.

"Where's Yang when you need her?"

The door to the shop opened with a kick, and the Red-Cowled girl peered over the aisle, her head just out of view of the doorway. It was Roman and his miscreants, pointing their guns at the shopkeeper. The old man raised his hands up, and Roman slammed his elbow on the register with his chin resting gently resting on his palm, his hips swaying. He looked down through the glass on the counter, a massive collection of Dust crystals strewn about for sale lying underneath.

"You know how hard it is to find a Dust shop open at this hour." said Roman, a friendly grin overcoming him.

…

In the skies over Vale, a cargo helicopter flew over the city, a woman with long black hair, yellow eyes, and gorgeous scarlet dress leaning against the wall, staring out into the open.

"It's not far now." she said, her voice shrill, sensual, spiced with an almost carnal desire. "Our poor boy Roman, Always needs a babysitter."

The pilot turned the helicopter as he became familiar with the airspace, "Should be easy. A get in and get out kind of operation, right miss Cinder?"

"Not quite." she walked behind the pilot's seat, stroking her fingers over his helmet with a coy demeanor. "Nothing easy is worth anything, didn't anyone tell you?"

"what do you mean?"

Cinder clenched her fist, her nails piercing through the skin, until blood drained down her palm. She held her hand to her mouth, licking the blood clean, flames erupting around her fingers as she slowly rubbed her tongue over her upper lip with her head held high.

"The blood of a Branwen runs deep, oh so deep." she extinguished the flames with a breath, squeazing her arms around herself and pushing her breasts high with a moan that sounded more like a wild animal than a human. "I can taste it. I can feel it inside of me. Summer's child…"

She set her eyes on a brick building outside of the window, observing the chaos from an apparent battle with a Hunter on the roof.

"... Ruby."


	2. Birds of a Feather

"Please, just take my Lien and leave." the old shopkeeper said, his hand above his head, desperate to survive.

Roman and his miscreants were not phased, however, the cigar touting leader standing tall, aiming the end of his cane at the man's face as it transformed into a firearm.

"Don't worry, I don't want your stinking Lien. I'm just here for the goods." he gestured with his hand at the Dust Crystal's under the glass counter, the shopkeeper suddenly realizing the true danger he was in. "Go ahead boys, bag 'em up." Roman pressed a button on the handle of his cane, returning it to form and walking away from the counter with pride and callousness in his stride. "My pals in Mistral are going to love this."

Then, gunfire reigned. The shopkeeper ducked, keeping himself away from sight, and Roman turned to scorn his men.

"Did I say shoot!?"

Yet, to his surprise, he found one of his three miscreants sitting on the floor with his hands placed tightly over his hip. He was bleeding, and breathing heavily, staring at the direction of the gunfire. Roman traced his eyes, glancing over the aisle to see a Black and Scarlet haired young girl aiming a scoped rifle with a smoking barrel, the likes of which he had never seen.

"Who the hell are you?" Roman yelled.

"Ruby Rose, at your service!" the girl pulled a switch on her weapon, transforming it back into the scythe she called Crescent Rose, smirking with her cheek turned, still slightly blinded in her left eye. "I think you should leave!"

Roman angered, his other men aiming their automatic side arms at the girl, waiting for his signal, "You little bitch, you're gonna regret that with your life. Kill her." he waved his hand and his nostrils flared.

Just as the bullets began to fly, Ruby swung her cape over her shoulders, rose petals scattering throughout the bookshop like feathers pouring from a torn pillow, making it difficult for the miscreants to see their target. As they turned the store into a chaotic target range, hot lead and broken goods drowning the screams, they somehow lost track of her. Then, there was a kick against a miscreant's stomach, sending him through the shop's window and out into the streets. Then, another strike followed, this time into another man.

In moments, Roman found himself alone in the shop, rose petals conquering the air, and all of his men left grunting in pain on the road outside. He looked at them with a raised brow, until the petals around him suddenly rushed outdoors with a gust of wind. They danced in a cyclone, growing in size and forming a massive flower on the sidewalk. The petals began to wilt, opening swiftly until Ruby's head emerged from within. Soon, the flower morphed, latching itself onto her shoulders, returning to the Red-Cowled cape that it once was.

When all was done, Ruby held out her hand, a beautiful Rose Bud resting on her palm. She closed her hand into a fist, and the garden in her hand faded away.

Roman was irritated as he watched the scene, but his Astonishment outweighed himself, "Well, you don't see that everyday."

Ruby turned her silver eyes to him, determination in her face, "The authorities will be here soon. You never should have messed with that innocent old man."

Her cute sounding voice still left Roman with a sense of disbelief. Despite her impressive performance, he would not surrender so easily.

"Well, Oh, look at the time." he stared at his watch, casually walking out of the shop's busted window. "It's been fun." He bowed as he stepped over one of a man's' back and started to cross the street. "Ugh, dinner's probably getting cold, you know how it goes. You can keep the men, they're a bunch of morons anyway."

He whistled, his arms swinging back and forth with spunk in his step. Just as he approached a ladder on the side of a brick building, Ruby pulled the switch on her scythe, holding the Crescent Rifle firmly at her hip and aiming it at Roman.

"You're not going anywhere until the authorities show up!"

Roman laughed, submissively holding his head down as he turned and tilted his hat, "I'm sorry, there must be a mistake here. I actually am the authorities. Hold on, let me just get this badge out…" he reached into his pocket, quickly taking advantage of the situation, removing a Dust Grenade from his coat, throwing it violently against the ground.

It exploded with a blue hue in the smoke it left behind, and Ice Shards shot out in every direction. It was Blue Dust, the resource which game humans superiors control over water and ice.

Ruby needed to act quickly. She rolled to the side, tossing the back of her cape into the air, a wall of roses growing on the trail behind her, just barely catching the shards. Then, the ice exploded, a wave of below freezing temperature rushing against her. She managed to use her cape to cover herself, but it didn't stop her forearm from freezing. She shivered, ice covering her skin, shaking away the frost, still holding onto her Crescent Rose.

"D-D-Darn you!" her teeth chattered. "Wh-where did he go?"

She heard the sound of a helicopter in the distance, looking up and finding Roman already at the rooftop of the nearby building. She looked to the side and saw that the helicopter was not far away. It wasn't difficult to see what was happening.

"Get back here." Ruby's body transformed into an array of rose petals, dashing up into the air and meeting at the rooftop, stopping Roman in his tracks as she returned to human form. "You're not going anywhere."

She readied her scythe, and Roman grinned.

"Just try and stop me, Kiddo."

Ruby slashed her scythe down onto him, but Roman blocked the attack with his cane. At first, it shocked her, causing her to Stumble; but, she continued her savage onslaught, intent on bringing him down. Yet, with each strike, Roman would cleverly sway, or roll, or block. Occasionally he would fire a bullet or two at her weapon directly, disrupting her footing.

She stopped again for a moment, catching her breath, "I don't understand, what is your Semblance?"

The Semblance was the power hidden within those gifted by nature. Not fully understood, it was somehow connected to the human soul. It was what allowed Ruby to transform into a flower, to fly in the air like petals in the wind. At once, it protected those who could wield it, but often condemned those who used it to a life of combat and strife. It was the fulcrum on which all mankind came to survive the harsh realities of the world of Remnant.

"My Semblance?" Roman asked mockingly, standing up from the concrete he sat upon. "Thank the Maidens I don't have one of those."

Before Ruby could reply, a stranger interrupted their conversation. A light footstep against the concrete, a pair of glasses shining against the sun rising for the morning, and curly blonde hair tied nearly into a bun. She seemed to appear from nowhere, her black and purple cape giving her a look of significance, alongside her professional skirt and blouse.

Both Roman and Ruby were left speechless.

"Who are you?" Ruby asked.

The mysterious woman replied with a calm tone, "I should be asking you that, young lady, you are in serious trouble."

"OH, look! If it isn't Glynda Goodwitch." Roman interrupted, patting grime off of his coat. "Nice to see you again my dear. Here to flash your royal tits for all to see again, c'mon miss, isn't it in your name? I thought you were a good girl?"

Glynda maintained her composure, holding the wand in her hand toward him and threatening, "You won't get away this time!"

Roman chuckled, leaning against his cane casually, "Oh, really? Well, well, well, it's been good girls, really. Next time maybe bring some champaign, it's insulting. My ride is here. It's been fun."

Somehow, they lost track of the helicopter's approach. It hovered above them, the force of the rotors pushing them away just a little. When Glynda and Ruby looked back at the docking door, they were greeted with yellow eyes peering down at them.

"No… No." Ruby gasped, taking steps back as her shoulders shook. "It can't be."

Cinder and Ruby met eye-to-eye, Remnant seeming to stand still in time for a short while.

"You've brought a friend, little Rose." Cinder glanced at Glynda Goodwitch. "That wasn't nice of you."

"Who are you?!" Glynda demanded an answer.

Cinder grinned, then sighed as she twirled her fingers through her long black hair, "Just a little birdie away from home."

"That's it." Glynda lost her patience, summoning her Semblance, waving her wand about until objects from nearby rooftops - air conditioning units, doors, scrap, and heavy ornaments of all kinds - floated in the air above her. With a whip of her wand, she sent waves of objects at the helicopter, which would surely take it to the ground.

Then, out of nowhere, Cinder screamed, her voice resembling that of the howl of the beasts that roamed the outer walls of Vale, the Grimm. It was loud enough to deafen them, all but Ruby covering their ears. When her voice settled, the glass from windows of several buildings shattered, the shards shooting up for the helicopter. It was Cinder's unique Semblance, the ability to control glass in any form. The glass scorched, melting together to form a giant sphere that guarded the helicopter. As the objects clashed against it, shattering it apart, it continued to melt. Although Glynda continued her assault, sending more and more at her foe, she had no choice but to halt when the glass shaped into spears, which Cinder tossed at them with all of her might.

Through the chaos. Roman dodged the barrage, jumping to the helicopter, firing a brief amount of rocket fuel from the chamber as he stood with the tips of his toes upon it. It was enough to land him in the bay, where he ignored Cinder's sinister smile and walked over to the pilot.

"Get us out of here before these crazy women kill us, Jim!"

The pilot nodded, then pressed a few switches, and the helicopter began to take off.

Cinder cracked her neck, then ended her attacks as they rose to the sky. Glynda was still on guard, but Ruby Rose just stared in shock.

"We'll meet again!" Cinder forewarned, the helicopter making its way out of the city. "Next time, you won't be so Lucky!"

Then, they were gone. Other than Glynda Goodwitch, Ruby was alone.

She thought deeply for a moment on just how carefully Cinder had chosen her words. Luck, was something she was far too familiar with. The sound of sirens came, as the authorities arrived far too late.

"You!" Glynda walked furiously against her high heels to Ruby. "What are you out past curfew!? Who are you?"

"Step aside, Mistress Goodwitch." said a mysterious man's voice close by. "I will deal with her from here."

Ruby and Glynda looked back and were met with the sight of a man with white hair and glasses, a cane in his left hand and an expression that beckoned respect.

Ruby suddenly smiled, her quirkiness instantly returning," Ozpin! "


	3. The Road to Oz

Ruby found herself sitting in a darkly lit room, an interrogation chamber used by His Majesty's Valiant Enforcers. In front of her was a cheap metallic table, empty of contents, and on the other side stood Glynda Goodwitch, perfectly composed in her typical manner. With Crescent Rose resting neatly behind her chair, and an awkward smile wrapped around her cheeks, she decided to break the ice.

"He He..." she shrugged, her eyes darting around the room, avoiding Glynda's gaze. "Good thing the Enforcers showed up when they did, huh?"

Glynda was unfazed, staring at her with a critical expression.

Ruby tried once more, "Its a little cold in here." she kicked her legs under her red skirt, frowning with raised brows. "Not much of a talker, huh?"

Glynda dissolved her composure and inquired, "Where have I seen you before? You look familiar. Have you been on campus grounds before?"

Ruby avoided answering, changing the subject, "Its good weather out there...yup." she looked around the room again, swinging her arm up gently, "Goooooood weather."

The door behind Goodwitch opened, and the white haired man with glasses known as Ozpin stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. "You can go now, mistress. I'll see you at orientation."

Glynda wanted to say something, but in respect, she stepped out of the room, shutting the door and leaving the two of them alone. Ozpin placed the hot mug of coffee in his hand on the table, and Ruby spotted a platter of cookies that he was holding behind him.

"Oh, Snacks!"

Ozpin tossed the cookie over to her, the platter sliding under her hands, "Why don't you have some. They're fresh from the kitchen."

Ruby smiled cutely, waving her hand with a blush on her cheeks, "I'm okay. Well, maybe just a few."

She proceeded to grab several cookies, consuming them like a hungry dog, crumbs falling on her dress and chocolate chips smearing on her lips. She managed to eat at least five of them in less than a few seconds, and Ozpin turned his head with a grin, confused by her behavior.

"What is an adorable girl like you roaming the streets outside of Beacon doing here?" he pulled a chair at the corner of the room closer, resting it near the table and sitting with his elbows placed atop the table. "Do you know who I am?"

Ruby stopped eating, placing a half-eaten cookie in her hand back on the platter, "You're Ozpin, Headmaster at Beacon Academy." She smiled, the elation clear on her face.

Ozpin furrowed his brows, "You want to join my academy?"

Ruby leaned forward, Ozpin pulling his hands away from the table in surprise, "YES! My sister, Yang, is attending this semester, too. We were travelling together, but we got separated. Its just so cool! I've always dreamed of being a huntress!"

Ozpin interrupted, "You want to join a school for the military's strongest elites? You want to be a Huntress? "

"YES!" Ruby's arms flailed with excitement, "I want to try all of the weapons, and fight against the Grimm! Just like my Uncle!"

Ozpin was taken aback once more, "Your Uncle? There's only one Hunter I know that swings a scythe around like you, but he attended my academy years ago. He used to be a part of my council, until he abandoned his post."

"Qrow!" Ruby replied. "That's my Uncle. He teaches at Signal Academy."

Ozpin face said it all; a sudden realization overcame him. In a flash, he had put the pieces together. It was no ordinary girl he was talking to.

"You're a Branwen?"

"Well, not by blood." She answered, looking down at the platter of cookies with sad expression. "That would be my sister."

Ozpin stood up and placed his hands on the table, leaning forward to get a better look at Ruby's face. Then, he noticed something that he could not believe he had missed before.

"You have Silver Eyes."

Ruby fell into a silence, glimpsing up at the headmaster with her head turned, overwhelmed with worry. Her heart pounded as she awaited his judgement.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you will be in if the Valiant found out?" Ozpin tapped his fingers against the table. "Do you know what the military would do to you and your sister? You do know how Vale sees the Faunus and the Tribes, dont you?"

Ruby nodded, finding difficulty summoning words as Ozpin turned his back and walked to the front of door. He stopped, his hands crossed behind his back, taking a deep breath.

"My mom always said, we could trust you." Ruby said.

"How much do you know?" Ozpin asked, his voice cracking under a lighter tone.

Ruby responded carefully, "Not much. Know its hard to believe, but, our moms never talked about it much. They wanted to keep us safe...before the attack."

Ozpin's head turned, "Where is your mother now?"

"Raven's still with them...but my mom...she..." Ruby began to cry.

Ozpin turned back, ready to ask more questions; but, he was met with a crest held in Ruby's hand, the Silver Rose that she kept at her belt side. His eyes opened wide, and he felt a sense of utter disbelief. He couldn't bring himself to ask anything more, not with a good conscience. So, he faced the door again, placing his hand on the knob.

"There's an airship flying to my academy now. You're late, but I'll ask them to stop near here. Welcome to Beacon, little Huntress."

Ruby's mood changed from sadness to joy. She clipped the Silver Rose to her ammo belt, then tightened her forearms in front her chest with her fists shaking, "Really? Really?! You mean it!?"

"indeed." He nodded.

"Thank you, THANK YOU! I'll be the best Huntress Beacon's ever had!"

He opened the door, taking a step outside of the dark room, "I'm sure you will." He paused himself, looking back at Ruby from the corner of his eye. "That woman in the helicopter... She's your..."

Ruby looked down, grimacing before looking back, then nodding slowly. Ozpin understood the picture, nodding in return.

"I'll stay quiet." he comforted. "You'll be safe at Beacon. I can't guarantee it anywhere else."

As he shut the door behind him, Ruby felt a sense of accomplishment. She could hear the sound of footsteps outside of the room, through the halls. It was likely the Valiant awaiting her for escort to a bright new future as a Huntress.


	4. A Beacon of Hope

Ruby walked the streets of Vale, surrounded with guards whose helmets shone against the rising sun. The enforcers were armed with semi-automatic rifles and armor suited with Remnant's most technically advanced equipment, directly from the Kingdom of Atlas. It was a military partnership as old as Beacon's founding, and one that saw the inner walls of Vale free of criminals, to the public eye anyway. An airship hovered above them, and Ruby found herself only steps away from it as it descended into an open road cleared by the Valiant. Curfew was over, and the residents of many nearby apartments stood behind yellow tape and watched as the ship landed. The wind from the Dust propelled engines pushed against them, the mighty force of Atlas machinery proving itself. In moments, the ship had docked on the street, its engines temporarily shutting down.

"Wow." Ruby exhaled, astonished by the massive exterior of the vessel, Dust powered ballistic turrets mounted at its top and under its hull, the windows glowing blue against the rays of the sunlight.

The shuttle door began to fall open, the hinges creaking as it did so. As it smashed against the concrete, a walkway was formed. Inside, was a crowd Hunters and Huntresses standing with impatience, many of them dressed in the fashion of their Kingdom, with many different personalities, races, and sexes all about. They carried custom weapons of all kinds, the sorts which would see them scorned for use in more appropriate channels of law and order. It was a view into the diversity and open nature of the Hunter's profession, and a testament to the freewill of those given the privilege to join Beacon Academy.

But, among them, only one stood out. A tall and strongly built teenage girl, wearing a tightly pressed bomber jacket, and a draped white skirt at her rear with a brown pleated belt surrounding it, a yellow crop top with an firey, black emblem embroidered into the chest. Her hair was bright yellow, curled with dry tufts at the ends, and she was armed with custom titanium Gun Gloves whose color matched her top. A fierce expression and sharp chin gave her a look that made her stand out among the others.

"Ruby!" the girl screamed, running off of the ship with her arms open and a face of relief.

"Yang!" Ruby squealed, dashing toward her in a full sprint.

The two met with their bodies crashing into one another, Yang holding her sister tightly and lifting her from the ground, spinning her once before placing her back to gravity.

Ruby patted her back, stepping away with a big smile on her face, "I thought I lost you. I'm so happy your here sis!"

Yang scratched her nose with a smirk, fierceness in her lilac eyes, "I got a little worried when we got separated, but I knew you'd make it somehow. Could have told me you'd make the ship come to you, not the other way around. That's just like you, troublemaker."

Ruby looked down for a moment, replying awkwardly, "It's been a heck of a night, sis."

A Hunter on board the airship interrupted, "Get a room already! You're taking up my sweet time."

Yang turned around, her eyes transforming into a red hue and her Gun Gloves blazing with white fire around the wrists, "SHUT IT!"

An enforcer behind Ruby slapped his weapon, "Hey, hey, no ruckus here! Get on board, we all got other things to do."

Yang calmed, her fury subsiding gently, her eyes returning to their natural color. She turned back to her sister, looking at her Crescent Rose, taking note of the scratches on the blade, "Really was a heck of a night for you, huh?"

Ruby looked at Yang's Gun Gloves, observing damage on them as well, "Your Ember Celica been through some fights too I see. It sure was rough getting here."

Yang looked at her weapons, pouting, "Yeah, they do their job. C'mon sis." she grabbed Ruby's wrist, then ran with her back toward the airship. "Our journey's almost over."

They boarded the airship together, the doors slowly shutting behind them as they joined the other students. The airship lifted off into the skies, the citizens of Vale calmly dispersing, and the Valiant pulling the yellow tape from the roadways, leaving the area for other matters.

…

An hour passed, and the airship was mere minutes away from its destination at the center of Vale. It was Beacon Academy, its white tower seemingly overlooking the entire Kingdom. Yang stared blankly out through a large window in the concourse halls of the airship, Beacon visible from the distance, with the sun set just above the tower. It was more than just an academy, but a beacon of hope, earning its name. Suddenly she heard three female students talking behind her, a single word catching her ear.

"The Branwen." one of the girl's said.

"Yeah," another replied, "finally got what they deserved."

The third added, "That whore Raven is probably hurting by now. Maybe the Kingdom might see some peace. Did you hear about those Faunus?"

"How could Ozpin let those things join our academy?"

Yang gritted her teeth, clenching her fists, contemplating sending a knuckle through each of their teeth. Then, Ruby walked behind her, chocolates in her one hand and foil wrappers in the other.

"How's it going?" Ruby stuffed her face with chocolate. "Nice view, huh?"

Yang turned and grinned, "Sis, you always have a way of calming me down. Let's stick together when we get to Beacon okay? No more separating. We only have each other."

Just as Ruby was about to reply, they heard the a young man grumbling from the other end of the hall. They turned, finding a boy with white, hooded armor and blonde hair, holding his stomach with a palm over his lips.

"Oh no, oh no." the boy's stomach grumbled, a burp leaving his mouth as the three chatty girls backed away. "Hey, do any of you maybe, uh, have some medicine?"

He leaned forward, belching one last time before vomiting profusely on one of the girl's clothes. They screamed in disgust, and the young boy walked away with his head held down.

"I'm sorry." he said, stomping down the hall. "I have air sickness. Oh!"

His stomach growled, and he disappeared into the corner of another hall.

Yang chuckled as she watched the girls faces, seeing them frown with brows knitted in discomfort, "I like that guy already. Wonder what his story is?"

Ruby grimaced, "Ew. I hope he's okay."

Yang poked her sister with an elbow, teasing, "I bet you'll meet some cute boys here at the academy, Ruuuuby."

Ruby stepped to the side a bit from the force of Yang's arm, rubbing her shoulder and replying with a chipmunk-like voice, "You know I've never liked boys."

Yang shrugged, turning around and facing the window once more, "Whatever, more for me. We gotta do something around here to fight the boredom."

A television automatically switched on in the hall, several students rushing from other parts of the ship to view the screen. Yang ignored it, but Ruby watched intently as a news report played out.

"Lisa Lavender, reporting in." a woman in a suit with thin purple hair spoke as pictures of riots appeared on screen. "The terrorist group, the White Fang, headed by the infamous Adam Taurus, have increasingly resorted to violence in the past few days. The half-animal humans forming the terrorist group, known colloquially as the Faunus, attacked an Atlas manufacturing company this morning with Dust Bombs, robbing the business of its entire stock of Dust, taking hostages in the process. The Valiant believe the motivation to be another set of retaliations against the Schnee Dust Company, Atlas's leader in the Dust Trade and the Faunus' largest employer. In other news, the price of high heels is skyrocketing as more Huntresses find fashion in… "

Ruby couldn't listen anymore, her heart already beating with anxiety. She turned around, placing a hand on Yang's shoulder.

"It's bad, Yang. Qrow wasn't exaggerating. We have to be careful. The city is so different, I don't know where to start." her blood settled. "I hope we make friends. I always wanted to make friends."

It appeared as if Yang wasn't listening.

"Yang..." she dropped her chocolates on the floor. "Yang!"

"Hey Ruby!" Yang crossed her arms, staring blankly out the window. "Look."

Ruby was dumbfounded for a moment, blinking in confusion. She looked through the window, unsure of what Yang wanted her to see. Then, she spotted it; a raven, its eyes scarlet red, and its wings more brilliant than an ordinary bird. It seemed to be gazing at them, steady in flight. A single feather fell loose from its back, disintegrating in the air.

"Hey..." Ruby winced, making certain that her vision did not deceive her. "Its M -"

Yang placed her hand over her sister's mouth, Ruby muttering through her fingers, her shoulders slumping forward as she looked at Yang with dismay.

"I'll handle it sis."

Ruby pushed Yang's hand away, "Yang! Not right now. C'mon we're in a new place. Can't you calm down already!"

Yang smiled, lifting her left hand up in front her chest, placing her right hand over it. She met eyes with the bird, making sure it saw her hands clearly. In a single motion, she pulled her right hand down, revealing her middle finger raised high on the left.

"YANG!" Ruby smacked her hands against her forehead, grunting in a way to sound angry, but coming off as more cute than threatening. "I'm going to get some more chocolate!"

Ruby stormed through the hall, standing in front of metal door which slid open for her, stepping inside. The door shut behind her, and Yang was left alone.

The raven watched Yang smile. Somehow, it looked as though it grinned in return. Then, a voice distracted Yang from over the loud speakers strewn about the ship. She wasn't used to being surrounded by technology, so she looked around trying to find the origin of the voice.

"Attention, passengers, future Hunters of Beacon. We're set to land in five minutes. Everyone gather at the docking bay immediately. REPEAT. Everyone, gather at the docking bay, IMMEDIATELY."

The the speakers shut off, and Yang turned back to the window. She looked carefully over the cityscape, but the raven was nowhere to be seen. As students from all over the ship marched down the hall, she joined the fray, making her way to the docking bay. It was not long before she found her sister again. Dodging students, stumbling through confusing corridors, they managed to survive the trip to the bay. The room was dark and the crowd was deafening, but it was all silence for the two of them, standing side-by-side, holding each other's hand as the future came ever closer. when the ship finally landed, the shuttle door began to open, the bright light above Beacon Tower greeting them through the cracks of the door.


	5. Fateful Greeting

Somewhere buried in the dark underbelly of Vale, a collection of men in black suits waited for their leader to arrive. It must have been a warehouse, or a storage unit, or perhaps an abandoned factory of some kind. Not even the men who stood and waited patiently were sure. All that mattered was that it was secluded, off the radar, hidden from the authorities and completely ambiguous. As the men in suits held their guns to their sides, smoking, chatting, pacing around the cargo crates that littered the area among the dim lights, they heard the sound of a rusty overhead door sliding up on the rails, the daylight coming through.

"My, my, my, at least one thing can go right today!" Roman walked into the building, spice in his step. "Another exciting night for us, right Fellas!" he raised his black cane above his head, waving his hat around in the other hand.

The hideout erupted with laughter, and the hands began to clap. The smell of tobacco and the energy of their leader filling the surroundings made the commotion spread like wildfire.

"Shut Up!" Roman shouted, the sounds from everywhere slowly settling. "I didn't say celebrate!"

The men watched as he walked up to a dimly lit toolbox at the farthest corner of the hideout, one fashioned into a table with a desk lamp and papers on its surface. He leaned against it, smashing his cane into its side, venting frustration.

One man among his crew raised his voice, "Lord Torchwick, what happened at the heist?"

Roman twisted on his heel, pointing his cane at the man, then firing a single sharpshooter's round into the man's skull, sending him lifeless to the floor. The others stepped away from the blood as it spread below them, able to keep their clothes clean.

"Haven't I told you people not to call me 'Lord' or 'Torchwick?'" he waved his fingers in the air, gesturing a quotation. "It's Mr. Roman, or 'Boss, ' Hell, you can call me Bucko for all I care, but I," he bashed his cane on the ground, the hideout reverberating from the impact, "demand RESPECT! You'd think you people from out East would get that by now."

Suddenly, a flame appeared from nowhere in the darkness, almost like a candlelight. Then a pair of amber eyes, bright like the embers in hot ash, peered out toward Roman from behind the flame, "You should treat your men well, Roman. Loyalty is a treasure. Your mommy mustn't have taught you well."

Cinder Fall stepped out of the shadows, a flame at her fingertip, the pattern of golden lace on her scarlet dress gleaming with blazing light. Roman paused, wearing a scowl on his face as she approached.

"The whole operation blew up in our face!" he kicked the ground, keeping his head held down while still maintaining eye contact. "I think you have some explaining to do, miss. You know that girl, don't you?"

Cinder crossed her arms under her chest, her eyes glancing around the hideout as she smiled coyly with her head tilted to the side, "Oh, she's nothing." She raised a brow, giving Roman a diminishing grin. "Family matters, that's all."

"You know what happens when you mix family matters with business, sweetheart?" Roman grinned mockingly, placing both hands over the handle of his cane and standing straight. "Like oil and water baby. You'll mess up even the tiniest little outings. Now just picture it. What happens when your 'family matters' get in the way of our next snatch, Hm?" he shook his head and raised the pitch of his voice. "How about that?"

Cinder grew angry, raising her hand to eye level, summoning her power. This time, it was not her Semblance, but something much different. Her wrist turned black, the lace patterns on her dress changing in tandem. A mass of Grimmsang, the blood of the dark beasts of Grimm, envlopled her hand, decaying her skin to the bone, then leaving behind a new limb, a hand with fingers as sharp as knives, and skin like molten rock.

"Roman," she said, he pupils dilating, "I think you've forgotten..." she pushed her hand forward, a stream of Grimmsang whipping in the air, pushing against Roman's neck until he was against a wall with tendrils wrapped around his throat. She walked closer to him, her face now visible in the light, still holding him high up as he struggled to breathe. "...just who you're talking to."

Roman kicked and gargled, "Let go...of me!"

Cinder's nostrils flared with a smirk, and she retracted her Grimm arm, her hand slowly returning to form as she positioned her wrists gently against her hips, entertained as Roman fell down onto his rear, his hat falling off.

He smacked his hand on the ground, sighing and patting his clothes clean as he stood, bending over to grab his hat, then placing it back on his head, "I'm sure your Highness wants her Dust, but if we're going to make this work," he pointed at her, turning his chin, "then no secrets. This is a rough operation we got going on here."

"You'll do as your told." Cinder replied, her shoulders raised with a pout on her lips.

Roman shifted his attention to the toolbox table, dragging his feet as her went to it. He leaned forward, his hands on the table, staring at map of Remnant pinned to the wall.

"So...is everything going to be ready for grand act?"

...

At the campus grounds of Beacon Academy, in front of the docking station just in front of the main Boardwalk, a array of students departed the airship for orientation, exhilaration filling their hearts, as many of them had never seen the astonishing site of Vale's most prestigious academic and military institution in such close proximity. This included the two travelling sisters, Yang and Ruby, who waited until most of the students had dispersed before taking their first steps onto the marble walkway.

Ruby's eyes gleamed in awe, and Yang's jaw was open from the shock of such a technical marvel.

"Wow" Ruby squealed. "Wow! Its so much bigger than I thought it would be." she pointed up at the white tower at the top of Beacon, its emerald rooftopsaiming for the sky like a spear to heaven.

The academy was clearly an immense architectural accomplishment. Its must have encompassed enough floors to harbor an entire army. At its base, was a simple stretch of campus, but by tracing over its height, one would meet concave structures, levitating rooms, and bridges to different sections of the school that appeared to be supported by only poles. Giant gears turned at the highest parts, probably a mechanism to keep the schools equipment running. It was like nothing they had ever seen before.

Yang looked around, seeing students - seniors and freshmen alike - roaming the campus, almost all of them in high spirits, "Wow, I didn't think there would be gardens all over the place like this."

As more students bumped shoulders with them, they could not help but observe more. Seemingly endless stretches of grass and flora populated the circular grounds. Above them were white archways over the boardwalk, a guide for welcoming newcomers. There were benches along either side of the boardwalk, and they could see a couple holding hands in one of them from afar.

Yang looked at Ruby, patting her back to distract her from her trance of wonder, "Its impressive, but its going to take some time to get used to." from the corner of her eye, she saw a set of rooftops poking out from behind the academy, a sign of multiple structures extending beyond the school itself. "There must be a whole town here."

As the airship that brought them there lifted off for a new airspace, Yang felt a bump against her back, and she was pushed aside.

"Hey!" she shouted, watching a female student walk by her rudely. "Get back here."

The student ignored her, as if she was not present at all.

Ruby distracted her sister with a tug on her jacket, "Its alright, I'm sure we'll make friends here soon. Then people won't be so mean to us, I think."

Yang jerked her head to the left with a frown, "Well, if everyone here is like this, I don't want to make friends."

"BY THE GODS!" they heard another group of female students behind them, looking back with confused expressions to find three girls with brightly dyed hair and low mid drifts, clasping their hands together and staring at Yang with blushes over their cheeks.

"Is that real?" One asked, her voice cracking as she pointed.

Yang tried to reply, but was interrupted by another, "You're hair isn't dyed?!"

"Uhh..." Ruby uttered.

Yang scratched her head, "Well, no, b - "

"Its so pretty!" the girls said together, rushing toward her and playing with her hair.

"Those curls are natural!"

"And she's got a great build too!"

"She's perfect."

"Perfect."

"PERFECT!"

Yang looked side-to-side, awkwardly, "Uh...perfect for what?"

The girls answered together, "THE BEAUTY CLUB!"

Before Yang could react, she ended up within a gang of excited students, walking away within their circle, taking her toward the entrance of the academy.

"Looks like I've made some friends!" she screamed to Ruby, waving. "I'll come find you! Good luck sis!" she was too far gone, too doomed for a makeover to be heard. "Catch you later!"

Ruby waved, closing her eyes and smiling with a light laugh, "Catch you later. Oh, what I'm going to do now." She loosened her shoulders, Crescent Rose slipping down her back a little. "Orientation starts in a few hours, and I don't even know where it is."

All things around her seemed like nothing more than a haze, the stimulation of everything being too much to bear. She sighed, then walked forward, intent on discovering the majesty of Beacon for herself.

Suddenly, she lost her footing, tossing her arms in the air as she tripped over without paying attention. She grabbed the nearest thing to her, a metal pole above her head; however, it did little to help, and it instead fell down with her, until she crashed on her back. Piles of briefcases fell on top of her, many of them quite heavy. She was dazed, until she heard a girl screaming next to her.

"You idiot!" the mysterious girl said furiously. "Don't you know how to watch where you're going!"

Ruby shook her head, her arms flat against the marble, slowly regaining her consciousness. When she looked up at the origin of the voice, she was met with a student wearing a white and pale blue dress, adorned with snowflake patterns at the skirt, a long sleeved jacket over it. A sash was tied around her waist, giving her skirt a flared pattern. She was slightly taller than her, and she had a scar on her left eye running from the top eyelid to her cheek, her eye squinting as if she had difficult seeing with it. Her hair was tied into a very long tail, as white as her dress, and on top of her head was a silver crown shaped cuff holding it in place. Her eyes were like ice, and her skin was pale like snow.

The mysterious girl threw her arms down and stomped on her high heels, the ends of her sleeves bouncing. "Do you hear me? Get off of my merchandise!"

Ruby looked down at the briefcases weighing on her, finding a luggage cart on its side next to her. She pushed the luggage away with all of her might. When she was free, she jumped up from the ground in a quick motion, startling the girl.

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it!" Ruby spoke fast, shifting her body left and right. "I didn't mean it! I'm new here. Hey, wanna be friends? I'd like to be friends. I'd like to have some friends. Let me get those for you!"

Ruby picked up a briefcase next to her foot, the latch breaking, and its contents pouring out onto the boardwalk. It was Dust of various types, and a lot of it. The crystals rolled into the girl's heel, and she grunted in annoyance.

"My things! Leave my stuff alone!" she demanded, growing angrier by the second.

Ruby furrowed her brows, embarrassed by her own behavior, "Oh no, let me just..." she bent over and grabbed a crystal .Then, her eyes began to glow with white light. "No, not now!"

"What are you -"

A flash of light appeared, blinding her in an instant. Ruby let go and stepped away. Then, an explosion came, the Dust crystal reacting negatively the aura of her Semblance, sending a wave of fire blowing against the mysterious girl.

Ruby rubbed her eyes, trying to bring her sight back, "I'm so sorry, please don't be mad."

When she glanced back at the girl, she saw her clothes covered with black char at the front, her face blackened with her pale eyes staring angrily at her.

"Uh oh..." Ruby placed her finger on her chin, then bit down on her fingertip with anxiety.

"LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!"

"I'm sorry." Ruby blushed, tossing the hood of her cape over her head to hide her face.

"Do you know who you're talking to!?" yelled the girl.

Another female student interrupted their conversation, stepping in from the side and crossing her arms, "Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Ruby glanced at the new student, guessing that she was about the same age as her sister. Her hair was long, loose, and black, with a large bow tie resting at the top of her head. Her face was sharp, her skin was sienna, and her eyes resembled those of a cat, thin and yellow with long lashes on her lids. On her upper lip were a whiskers protruding far outward, and her nose was slightly sloped upward at the tip. She wore a revealing silk white undershirt with lace trimming, and a thin vest with a single button closing it under her chest, belts dangling from the ends. On her waist was a small dark skirt, covering a tightly worn pair of white shorts. On her legs were stockings that changed from black to lavender, meeting with heeled boots at the feet. Her wrists were covered with several bracelets and cuffs, and on her back was her signature weapon, its intricacies impossible to discern from first glance.

Weiss replied with a smile on her face, "That's right."

The black haired student continued, "The company responsible for the slave-like working conditions and its controversial tactics against its competitors. The same one responsible for the arms deals in the east that caused the Dust Wars."

Weiss placed her hand over her face, eyes showing shock. When she recovered from the insults, she grinned, waving her hand at the other student, "Big words coming from a Faunus. You pretend like you can live among humans, but look what happens. Don't try to pretend like you have good intentions. You're the same as any animal out there, rolling in filth."

The black haired girl gritted her teeth, but kept her composure, turning her head away from the spat and walking away with pride in her stride.

Ruby looked around again, feeling tension in the air so thick that she could almost taste it, "Um...I've got to go now." she ran away from Weiss, her cape flowing in the air as she kept her head low. "I'm really sorry!"

"Hey!" Weiss screamed. "Get back here and clean THIS UP!"

Through her scarred eye, she saw something on the ground that startled her. It was a tiny, beautiful rose set neatly in a crack within the marble, fighting its away through the surface. She picked it up from the boardwalk, surveying it carefully, noticing its oddly perfect bloom.

"What the..."

She dropped the flower, looking back at Ruby as she ran into the mass of students, disappearing from the outer grounds. For whatever reason, Weiss knew that they would meet again soon.


	6. Broken Bonds

It was bright inside of Ozpin's office, the man himself sitting in his chair, facing the massive window behind his desk an watching the students wandering around the campus. From his height, at the top floor of Beacon Tower, they were like insects. With his fingers weaved together, and his chin resting on his knuckles, he was lost in his mind. The bronze gears turning both above the ceiling and, below the glass floor at the center of the room acted as a composer to his mind, timing each fragment of thought to a tune. He closed his eyes for a moment, sighing, feeling overwhelmed.

"Ozpin." a voice said over a communication system from behind him.

"Oz." said another. "The meeting is still happening."

He kicked the floor and spun his chair in the opposite direction, leaning against his desk, "I understand. I was simply contemplating our next step."

In front of him, on the transparent surface of his desk, were holographic monitors with images of different emblems representing councilmen from each Kingdom of Remnant. They were the primary governing body in most territories, speaking from vast distances using communication towers designed by Atlas engineers, each strategically placed throughout the continents and islands to maintain diplomatic bonds. The system was powered by Yellow Dust, a sign of mankind's incredible technological progress. Ozpin's academy was considered the most unique and prestigious military school among all of those established in Remnant, and since he was respected within nearly all borders, there was little debate for the appropriate channel to address current affairs of state.

A woman from Atlas spoke from behind one of the monitors, "We can't ignore this, Oz. Things are getting out of hand."

Ozpin rubbed his eyelids and sighed, "I'm fully aware of the situation, Winter. These matters require special consideration before we take immediate action."

A man councilman from Mistral replied through static, "We could accept a few Grimm getting through our walls outside of Vale, but this is concerning."

Another man from Vacuo added, "We've had more trouble here than anyone else. Listen Ozpin, and listen well. The Grimmwall Treaty was your idea, with courtesy to your Majesty's blessing. It has seen many successes in recent years, but if even the slightest, smallest, cracks start to show, then when the dam breaks and a flood is let loose, it will be on your head."

"Is everyone from Vacuo always this kind?" a man on the Atlas board interrupted.

The Vacuo councilman countered, "You're always quick defend him, Ironwood. You might be able to show off your medals in Mantle, in Vale, or maybe even in Mistral, but here in Vacuo, they are meaningless."

Ozpin stood from his chair, pacing to a corner of the room that was still close enough for him to speak to them, "Gentlemen...we cannot lose faith in the alliance. As long we can keep the fears of the public at bay, if we can subside their negative feelings - their anger, frustrations, greedy desires - then we still have the upper hand. A comfortable public, and a healthy society are the only way to keep the Grimm outside of our walls."

"Look what good its doing for you." the Vacuo councilman replied. "It's just like twenty years ago, except this time you let even tiny street scum steal your Dust."

Ozpin countered, "Obviously there are some criminals afoot, we just need to find them. That's all."

"You better." the councilman threatened. "I want to have faith in this plan, believe me, I do. But her Majesty of Vacuo is watching carefully. The Dust War is still fresh in the people's hearts. Mankind has been difficult enough to control as it is. We cannot abide more failures."

Ozpin walked back to his desk, setting his hand on top of it and adjusting his glasses, "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure, but we will have to discuss this ordeal another day. I have an orientation to attend, and I can't be late..."

"You will hear from me again, Oz." said the Vacuo councilman.

Every representative from each Kingdom joined to say goodbye, "In Prosperity, I Bid Thee Well."

Before the meeting was over, Ozpin uttered, "Ironwood, stay on the line a moment, I need a quick word with you, alone."

The monitors disappeared into space, adjourning the meeting; the only one remaining was that of Atlas, the figure of a man appearing on screen to replace the emblem. It was a man with slick black hair and piercing eyes, accompanying a broad chin that gave him a stern look. He wore a white suit with badges of rank pinned on the upper chest, standard dress for high official's of the Atlas military, but his uniform was of particular note: the General of the Atlesian army, a Lord of his land, known as Ironwood.

"What do you need, Oz?" Ironwood asked, his voice calm and friendly.

Ozpin sat in his chair, crossing his leg over the other beneath the desk, "Can you be here by tomorrow, James?"

Ironwood heeded silence to think, before finally answering, "I have a few training sessions with some new recruits, but I can push the dates to another time. Why? Is something urgent?"

"You know I don't like speaking of matters concerning The Brotherhood over this system, or by Scroll."

"The Brother -" Ironwood stopped himself, feeling weary of those that could be listening. "Is it urgent or not? I'd rather not postpone my duties."

Ozpin leaned back in his chair, placing his palms together and turning aside, "I have two new students at my academy. Do you remember Raven Branwen, Mr. Ironwood?"

"Raven? From team STRQ?" Ironwood's interest piqued. "What about her?"

"I've been digging through some case files. It seems that Ms. Branwen's sister is in Vale as we speak."

"Cinder Branwen?!" Ironwood seemed pleasantly surprised. "She's come to join the Brotherhood?"

Ozpin chuckled, "Unfortunately, no. I'm sorry, but we simply cannot speak of this further here. Can you be here in my office by tomorrow, or not?"

There was a long pause in discussion, as Ozpin waited for a reply. The clock on the walls ticked loudly, and the gears of beacon continued turning. It made what little time had passed seem like hours.

"I'll pack modestly." Ironwood said. "I'll be there later in the evening. I Bid Thee Well."

The holographic monitor faded, and Ozpin was left alone in his office. He did not linger, however, as there were matters to attend to. He rose from his chair, and approached the restricted elevator door of his quarters leading to the bottom floors of the academy. It was time for a new generation of students to join the ranks of the Hunters and Huntresses.

...

Ruby stood on a concrete walkway in a location outside of Beacon that was completely unknown to her. She had roamed the campus grounds for some time, exhausting herself in the process. She was unfamiliar with city life, and even more so with student life. A campus the size Beacon was like a maze, filled with lights, voices, smells and fast moving things that startled her at every turn. So, she leaned her head against the wall of a pillar, students from all lands moving around in every direction, appearing as ghosts to her. She desperately tried to focus, but she felt a throbbing pain between her eyes, causing direct light sources to appear brighter that they actually were. For her, focus was important, a way to keep her blood flow under control. She needed a break from navigating the confusing grounds, dodging the crowds.

"Hey." a gentle voice called out next to her. "You alright there?"

She glanced at the origin of it, finding a familiar face that she could not quite place. It was a young man with blonde hair, spiked on all sides and draping over his head. On his back was a sheathed sword, the scabbard made of metal. She had seen his white armor before, and recognized the red and black hooded gambeson too.

Ruby recovered herself from lost senses, pointing at the young man, "Hey, I remember you. Your Vomit Boy, from the transport."

He scratched his chin and smiled with embarrassment, "Oh, boy. Guess that's my nickname now, huh. Oh man, why do I always screw up first impressions." He spoke quickly, but lowered his pitch towards the end of his sentences. "Oh well, can't be helped, I guess."

Ruby came closer, holding her hand out for a greeting, "Ruby Rose, at your service! What's your name?"

"It's Jaune. Your the first person to ask." Jaune took a few steps to the side.

"That's a pretty nifty sword you've got there." Ruby followed him as he moved along the campus' seemingly endless walkways. "Looks classy! I'm surprised you made such a simple weapon."

"Its a hand-me-down." he removed the sword from his back, taking it out of the sheath and swinging it around as he moved. "My father gave it to me, after the War. It's pretty useful, see." he held the sheath in front of him, the sides flaring out in an instant, transforming into a white shield with golden trim. After guarding each shoulder with it, he pressed a switch on the handle, retracting it into a sheath once more, then placing the sword back inside before resting it at his back. "The shield gets smaller, so, when I get tired of carrying it, I can just," he stopped and stood somewhere away from campus, scratching his head again, "put it away."

Ruby stopped next to him, swinging her hips a bit as she thought, "But, wouldn't it still weigh the same?"

Jaune looked down, "I - Uhm - ... Yes." he pointed at Ruby's Crescent Rose, still in scythe form. "What about your weapon?"

"Oh, this." she smiled, pulling her scythe from its and place proudly showing it off, "She's Crescent Rose! She's got guns, a blade, and a few other nice things! I made her myself." her voice cracked.

"Really, where'd you learn to do that?"

Ruby was not expecting the question, since most students learned to customize their weapons in entry school. However, she was an exception, and she had little trust to reveal herself yet.

"Hehe...at Signal Academy of course! My uncle Qrow teaches there. Everyone's required to make their own weapons!"

Jaune gestured with his open palm, "Really!" he took a single step back in amazement. "That's so cool. So..." his eyes wandered. "you're from Signal?"

"Yep! Born and raised at Patch Island. Our poor Uncle; wasn't easy raising me and my sister. Little rascals we were. Hey..." she looked at the surroundings, finding emptiness around them in a part of campus away from commotion. "where are we going?"

"Oh!" Jaune kept his head down. "I was - uh - following you."

Ruby laughed, returning Crescent Rose to her back, walking to the more populated campus area, Jaune following, "Well, c'mon, orientation is going to start soon. We can't be late. I just wish I could figure out where I'm going. It'll be easier to find with a friend, thought!" she tried to hold in her excitement. "I've made a friend!"

Jaune grinned, his shyness fading away as he followed the new girl that eased his mind.

...

Somewhere far from the Beacon Tower, on the roof of an older classroom building, Cinder Fall sat at the edge, gently swinging her feet back an forth, an apple in her hand. She bit into the skin of the fruit, its juices dripping down her lips and to her neck. Two figures stood behind her and waited. It was a young woman with long, green hair wearing a thin crop top with an intricate white jacket over it, a tightly worn pair of brown pants and strapped high heels on her feet. The other was a young man with silver, spiked hair, wearing mostly gray attire, a pair of loose pants and a matching long sleeved jacket.

The two were far enough for Cinder not to be heard, and they spoke to one another privately.

"How can she just sit there like that for so long?" the man asked, crossing his arms and staring at Cinder. "She eats like an animal."

The woman watched as Cinder bit around the core of the apple, occasionally sucking her fingers clean of juice, "She's beautiful." she sounded bewildered, as if her heart froze with words and admiration.

"Emerald, I think you need to get your eyes checked." The man replied. "I think your Semblance is starting to make you see things."

Emerald threw her hand across the man's cheeking, slapping him hard enough to emit a popping sound. The man grabbed her hand, pulling her forward and staring at her in rage. However, she disappeared into thin air, his hands left empty. He turned and sighed, finding her standing behind him with a grimace.

"Next time you do that, Em, I won't be nice about it." he calmed.

"I told you never to say anything mean about her, Mercury!" she retorted, unwavering her dismay. "Haven't you listened to her? Her story, what they did to her? She's in pain, Mercury! Her soul is hurt. She saved me!" there was passion in her words as she stepped forward and pointed at herself. "She saved you! Where would we be if she hadn't found us?! Do you use your brain, Mercury?!"

He replied, "Apparently I'm the only one that does. Whatever!" he exited the conversation, going to a different corner of the roof. "When we actually do something, come and get me."

Just as she was about to follow, Cinder called out to her, "Emerald!"

Emerald glanced at her admired, advancing to her, "Yes, Cinder?"

Cinder threw the finished apple core down to the concrete below, "Be a good girl. Make sure that little Yang makes it to the Junior's Club tonight."

Emerald bowed, "Yes, of course."

Cinder stood up, her toes over the edge, gazing out over the entire campus, its dormitories, its gardens, and its factories; it was a city in its own right.

"So sad that we have to leave, for now." Cinder closed her eyes for a moment, the wind brushing against her hair.

Emerald said with a smile, "I'm ready when you are. I'm always at your command."

Cinder opened her eyes again, "Not yet." She held her hand in front of her head, a ball of fire erupting between her fingers. "Let me tell you something, good girl. As a child, my Semblance was a joke, a weakness." A loud ringing sound was heard in the air, penetrating for miles, enough to reach Ozpin's tower. "They laughed at me. They said that I would be cursed to play with sand forever. But," the ringing became deafening, and the windows of Beacon's structures began to glow amber with heat. "I think the gods were smiling over me, that such fragile humans could make these cities my playground."

Emerald covered one ear, coming closer so that she could listen.

"I hope you're watching up there, sister. Summer's child is about to be put to the test. With dark emotions, the Grimm will come." All forms of glass in the city near her influence began to shake. "Today is only the beginning, the beginning of the end."

In a single motion, clasping her fingers together and distinguishing the ball of flame, a crackling sound flew from her location and extended outward, reaching the central grounds. Throughout Beacon, glass shattered into sharp, hot shards, the people's screams emanating from all corners, the streets rising into panic. Cinder chuckled, turning around and walking by Emerald with a grin of satisfaction on her face. "Come, Emerald. We have so much to look forward to."

With Chaos erupting inside of Beacon's supposedly safe walls, they exited the rooftop, sneaking their way down, and onto other nefarious deeds.

...

"What's going on!" Jaune screamed just outside of the school cafeteria, ducking his head as glass fell down from above. "Oh no, Oh no!"

Ruby darted her eyes about the area, certain that the destruction was Cinder's doing. She placed her hand upon Crescent Rose, ready for a battle at any moment. As students, and Hunters, flooded the campus and prepared their arms for the worst, she spotted a young girl standing on top of a tall building nearby. She wore a white jacket, with a bright pink embossed parasol held over her head. The girl stared back at her, a grin crossing her cheeks, filled with ill intent.

Ruby knew it was time to drop the act. Despite her desire to keep her heritage a secret from the citizens of Vale, it was time to show her true potential. With eyes glowing white, a storm of roses cycled around her, filling the campus with petals. Campus guards and Hunters scattered in search of the threat, but she had her sights set on a danger of her own.


	7. The First Step

At the top of the domed roof of the Hunter-Professor Faculty Complex, the girl holding the parasol stared with a grin at Ruby Rose, who stood far away and outside of the Cafeteria, holding her Crescent Rose with warning as petals continued to fill the air below. The heat from molten glass littered the campus, freshmen and junior students panicking and looking for shelter, some preparing their arms. As her long hair, divided in two colors of pink and black, blew against the wind, she pointed the end of her parasol - the name, Hush, carved with golden calligraphy into its base - down at at the soon-to-be Huntress, a machine gun barrel protruding from it, ready to fire at any moment. But, she felt a vibration in her pocket, a call coming into her communication Scroll, the portable device produced by Atlas and used by all Hunters on the field for easy distance contact. She rolled her eyes, loosening her grip and allowing Hush to fall to her side, removing her Scroll from her pocket. She answered the call, placing it close to her ear.

"What the hell happened?" she heard Roman complain from the other end, and she shrugged in reply.

"One minute I'm enjoying a nice drink, and the next thing, I hear explosions and screaming. Really puts a shiv in my time off, my 'me' time. Where are you, Neo?"

She placed the Scroll in both hands, sending a message to answer before placing it back to her ear.

"Oh, I see. Made it then? Shit, I swear that bitch wants to blow our cover."

Neo sent another text, then listened.

"No, No, No! Get out of there! I'm glad you found the little brat, but we'll deal with her later. Damn it! Guess we have no choice."

Neo rolled her eyes again, then looked down at the campus grounds, where the Valiant spotted her location, aiming their weapons at her and speaking through a microphone, "You have ten seconds to comply. Get down from the complex and face justice, and you might live."

As the countdown began, she listened in on the other side of the Scroll.

"Just activate the bomb already! Gods, can anything go our way?"

The countdown reached its end, and Neo held up her Scroll for those below to see, pressing a button on its side. Then, the ground began to quake, students their losing balance, distracting Ruby for a moment.

Neo placed the Scroll back to her ear.

"Their defenses aren't as good as they think. Just hurry up and get the goods, then get back to base. I'll have your favorite ice cream waiting! Chow!"

Ruby brought her eyes back to Neo once she regained her posture. She waved down at her, placing the Scroll back into her pocket, then smiled as she jumped backwards and down from the rooftop, disappearing from view of the authorities.

"Hey, get back here!" Ruby screamed. "Who are you!? Where's Cinder!?"

Just as she was about to make chase, the marble floor of Beacon's walkway began to crumble. The Valiant, Professors and senior students alike gathered around in preparation for a threat. As the ground caved into itself, the walkways fell apart, revealing passageways hidden underneath the academy. Terrifying beasts emerged from within, climbing, jumping, and crawling up from the depths. They were giant wolf-like beings with skull masks painted carved with red; they had sharp fangs that were ready to devour, and they spread through the campus like a wildfire. They towered over any human, possessed the strength to tear through metallic walls, and their saliva dripped from their mouths and burned like acid through nearly anything. These were the terrifying beasts of Grimm known as the Ursai, creatures of the dark wild that roamed the barren lands of Remnant.

Ruby had seen these beasts before, but never as many in such a closed spaces. She watched briefly in horror as they ripped through scared civilians swiftly, charging into those who fled in groups. The experienced Hunters on campus managed to fend them off well, but struggled to defend others. The bullets fired from the Valient's weapons were useless, the monster's forms absorbing them without damage. With such a sudden eruption of chaos, it seemed as if the masses of Grimm would never end. But, Ruby had a trick up her sleeve, a weapon that would change the odds in ways that no other Huntress could.

"I know I'm not supposed to do this in public mom, but..." an even greater storm of rose petals formed around her, and she closed her eyes as she held Crescent Rose firmly in her hands. "...HERE I GO!"

She opened her eyes, silver wings of light shooting out of the sides of her lids, streams of white flowing against her face. Her irises faded away, and her hair was pushed back against the force of her light wings that beat against the wind. Then, she tossed her cape around her body, transforming herself into a wave of rose petals, which flew through the air at great speed, approaching an Ursai nearby. When she was close enough, she returned to her normal form, looking the beast directly in its face. It lifted its arm, ready to claw her into pieces; but, her eyes glowed brighter, and she readied her weapon.

"HUUUUUH!" her eyes strobed in the face of the Grimm, and it screamed in agony as its body began to decay. Without even thinking, she slashed her scythe into its jaw, her entire body spinning into the blow, slicing through the head completely, until its head was cut in half, and its body turned into a puddle of Grimmsang.

She wasted no time, transforming back into her rose form, darting above the caved ground to Grimm-after-Grimm, her eyes flashing brighter and weakening the pack, slicing through their numbers, until nearly half of them were gone.

Not far away, Weiss Schnee watched, fending off an Ursai of her own outside the cafeteria and dodging shards of glass on her heels. As she summoned circular glyphs at the end of her sword, firing shards of ice into her opponent's body, she paid some attention to Ruby. She was fascinated by her Semblance, amazed that rose petals reached even her location from such a distance. When her enemy was down on its knees, its skull cracked from bombarding ice, she dashed forward and stabbed it through a hole in its mask. The monster dissipated in screams, its Grimmsang falling to the floor.

"What is that Semblance?" she said to herself, letting her guard down, comfortable with the amount of Grimm that had fallen due to Ruby's interference. As she watched her spin in the air with her Crescent Rose, her eyes shining, white wings lifting her upward, her feet barely ever touching ground, Weiss began to wonder where she had heard of such a power before. "Is that...Silver Eyes? It can't be." She watched a single rose petal fall between her feet. It dug into the marble, cracking it open, until a small bouquet of blooming roses grew from underneath. "What...is this?"

Finally, with one final slash of Crescent Rose, the last Grimm fell, Ruby Rose dropping from the air and to her knees at the center of the destroyed grounds. The students began to settle their fears, the professors and the Valiant helping calm the crowd. Suddenly, there was clapping, then cheering, the sound of screams and horror replaced with a triumphant roar. But, Ruby ignored all of it; despite the noise all around her, she kept her attention to herself.

A professor walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and helped her return to her feet. "That was brilliant young girl, simply brilliant, what a show!" He spoke a little too quickly for her to gather everything he was saying, especially through the commotion about. "Never thought I'd see the day, a student at Beacon, with Silver Eyes. You must've just discovered it! You must be a senior, yes that's it, but I've never seen you around before, no, not at all. I'm professor Oobleck, young lady, now what might your name be?"

As the rose petals dropped to the ground, blooming flowers on the floors and walls of the campus, Ruby regained her consciousness. Her eyes were completely turned to silver, and she stared blankly into nothing as she answered, "Well, actually, I'm not a student yet..." she laughed lightly.

From the dense surrounding student body, Glynda Goodwitch, the Headmistress of Beacon, stepped into the fray, power in her stride as she walked in her heels. Beside her was Headmaster Ozpin, spinning his trusted cane in one hand. They stopped in front of a chasm in the ground, and Ozpin smashed his cane into the dirt, sending a shock wave into the soil strong enough to distract everyone.

"Calm down!" he demanded, all eyes upon him.

Ms. Goodwitch held her wand in the air, sparkling lights floating around it, and the debris scattered about the campus began to levitate. First, the broken glass lifted off of the ground and flew into the air, returning to its place, repairing the nearby windows of almost every building in an instant. Then, the collapsed floor began to close, the marble walkway coming back together. As Remnant shook under them, the students watched as all of the destruction they had witnessed reversed in time, eventually returning to shape, as if nothing had occurred in the last few minutes at all.

"Thank you, Ms Goodwitch." Ozpin said. "I'll meet you at the auditorium." Glynda bowed her head, then left the area to attend to her duties. The students, Hunters, and Valiant gathered near him to listen as he prepared a statement. "There is good reason to celebrate this moment. After all, it is more proof to show the world what you Hunters and Huntresses are capable of. Still, we must be mindful. Officer." He addressed a Valiant enforcer nearby, who saluted to him. "Some of the civilians have fled in a panic. Find them and assess the injuries. Make sure to give them the medicine they need to calm their nerves."

"Yes, Headmaster." the man bowed, signalling a squad of enforcers to his side, and running to others parts of the campus, seeking survivors.

"As for you students," He crossed his hands over his cane, looking in all directions as he addressed them, "sophomores to seniors, go to your dorms. Their will be no classes today. Freshmen, don't think this little event has postponed your orientation. I will be at the Auditorium in half an hour. I expect all of you to be there. You are dismissed!"

Immediately, the students scrambled, and the professors left the area. Somehow, he managed to control the student body's energy, to make it seem as though all was well. The disaster that had taken place left everyone's minds, like a distant memory.

"Headmaster!" an enforce gained his attention. "I just got a call from the Shopping District. A Dust store was robbed clean. Looks like they took advantage of the situation. The boys are looking into it now."

Ozpin scowled, but gave no reply.

Ruby stumbled toward him through the masses, walking in an uneven pattern until she stopped in front of him, staring blankly, "Hi Ozpin! Could I have some help getting to the Auditorium? I've been lost since I got here." she grinned and shrugged.

Ozpin stared into her eyes, seeing emptiness, "Young Summer...Ruby. Are you blind?"

Her head looked to the side, "Mostly. It happens, but it'll wear off eventually. I can only see Aura's, and Grimm, but its not easy. There's no way I can get to orientation on time like this." she frowned.

"Hey!" Jaune yelled from nearby, sprinting next to Ruby, bending over with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "I lost you back there. I mean...Oh man...actually, I ran away! I'm sorry, but I saw what you did. That was incredible!"

Ruby titled her head and giggled, "Thanks. It was nothing."

Ozpin looked at them and grinned, "Seems you're not going to be able to hide your Silver Eyes for long, little Summer. Its a powerful weapon against Grimm, as it damages their soul, destroys them from the inside. But..."

Ruby interrupted, "I know, it can hurt people pretty badly too."

Ozpin continued, "That's right. With enough control, it can disable Semblances, destroy Auras, or even trap someone's soul in the spirit world."

Ruby replied, "Well, I'm more worried about them finding out I'm a Branwen."

Jaune exclaimed, "You're a Branwen! That's amazing!"

Ozpin laughed, "There's one. Well, not everyone will react so positively, I understand. The Branwen Tribe has stirred much trouble for the Kingdom, especially as of late. Sooner or later, you'll have to stop hiding, little Summer..." he scratched his cheek. "I mean...Ruby."

"You really miss my mom, huh?"

Ozpin answered after a long pause, "She was partially responsible for making this academy possible. A true Huntress at heart. We all miss her." He tapped his cane on the ground. "No more time. Coco!" He called out to a student walking by, bullet sleeves and clips covering her person, wearing sunglasses and coffee shaded clothes, along with a beret over her short black hair.

She walked up to him and saluted, "Yes Headmaster?"

Ozpin turned to her and said, "You're very familiar with campus at this point, I'm sure. Please, guide these two students to the Auditorium. Ms. Ruby is blinded and this young man seems lost."

Coco bowed, agreeing to the task, "Will do!"

Coco grabbed Ruby's hand, startling her as she pulled her towards the campus.

"Hey, wait!" Jaune began to follow them.

Ozpin smiled as he watched them leave. Soon, he stepped away from the grounds, prepared for a speech for the year's freshmen at Beacon Academy.

...

"Guess this is it." Jaune said, walking next to Ruby in the moderately-sized Auditorium, filled with freshmen students standing before the speakers platform, and oddly no chairs. The wall on the stage behind the podium bore the emblem of Beacon Academy, a silhouette of Beacon Tower. Glynda Goodwitch waited patiently next to the podium for Ozpin to arrive.

Coco, Ruby and Jaune's junior guide, waved her hand and walked away when she was done dealing with them, "See ya."

"Ruby!" Yang yelled from the freshmen body.

"Yang!" Ruby replied, still unable to see through her recovering eyes. "I gotta go. See you after the orientation!"

"Hey, wait!" Jaune reached out, but Ruby went to her sister before he could get a word in. "Great, where else am I going to find nice, quirky girl to talk to! Oh, hey!" He stepped aside when he saw a potential friend, a young red headed student behind him smirking as he moved away.

Yang opened her arms as her sister came to her, hugging her tightly when in range until her back cracked. "Oh, sis, I was worried about you! I heard what happened. Are you okay?" Yang placed her back on the ground. "You went and blinded yourself again!"

Ruby smiled, "Yeah, sis, I'm alright." her sight was starting to return, and she could see a hazy image of Yang's face. She winced when she spotted fuzzy red marks all over her cheeks face. "What's that on your face?"

Yang rubbed her thumb over her cheek, then looked down to see lip stick smudged on it. "For the God's sake! You have no idea Ruby." She rubbed her face clean of multiple kiss marks. "I've made way too many friends. I've been invited to the Beauty Club, the Sports Club, the Bath Club, the Dance Club, the Signs-That-Have-Words-Too-Small-To-Read Club, and tonight have a date at the Junior Club!"

Ruby responded, "Wow, that's a lot of clubs. You're so popular and you've only been here for a few hours! Great job, sis!"

"Yeah, but honestly, I have a funny feeling about all of it. Can't let the opportunity to get to know some people slip by though. So, what have you been up to, sis?"

"You mean since I exploded this girl." Ruby answered.

Yang replied, "Wow, Meltdown already, huh?"

"No, literally Yang. I burned her."

"Ummm ..."

"She was very angry." Ruby tapped her fingers together in embarrassment.

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"I wish. I tripped over this crabby girl's luggage."

As Ruby spoke, Weiss Schnee walked quietly behind her and listened, fury in her face.

"I tried to say hi, and she yelled at me, and I tried to help, but then my eyes blew up, and her Dust exploded and I was REALLY sorry, and then she yelled at me again, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me. Her scar made it extra scary."

Weiss threw her arms down, and screamed, "YOU!"

"AH!" Ruby jumped away, her back hitting her sister's chest. "It's Happening Again!"

Yang gritted her teeth, 'Oh Gods, you really exploded this girl."

"I'm sorry!" Ruby yelled, catching the attention of some of the surrounding freshmen.

"Look!" Weiss held up a pamphlet with the words 'Dust for Dummies' on the front, a picture of a dumbfounded looking Hunter on the cover.

"I can't see anything...what is that?"

Weiss suddenly spoke with a professional tone, "The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with..."

Ruby's was overwhelmed, Schnee's words blending together and sounding more like a chalk board being scratched as her focus faded away.

"thiseasytofollowguidetoDustapplicationsandpracticesinthefield!"

"uhh..." Ruby didn't know what to say.

Weiss pushed the pamphlet closer to her face, "You really want to start making things up to me?"

Ruby nodded her head with a worried look, "Absolutely."

Weiss smacked the pamphlet into Ruby's hand.

"Ouch."

"Then read this," She pushed her face uncomfortably close to Ruby's, "and don't speak to me ever again!"

Yang interrupted while patting her sister's shoulders, "It looks like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends again?"

As Weiss stepped away, Ruby smiled and said, "You're right, Yang, that's a great idea." she moved forward, unsure of exactly where Weiss was, keeping her hands behind her back. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out. We can go shopping for school supplies!"

"Oh, yeah!" Weiss smiled sarcastically and shook her chest and knees. "We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about CUTE BOYS," she pointed at Jaune at the other side of the Auditorium, "LIKE TALL, BLONDE, AND SCRAGGLY OVER THERE!"

Ruby fluttered her hands with joy, "Wow, Really?!"

Weiss paused and blinked several times before answering, "No."

She pranced away, and Ruby held her head down with a frown, "Oh...she doesn't like me at all Yang..."

"Give her time." her sister replied. "Hey, look, the speech is about to start."

Ozpin stepped onto the stage and behind the podium, all freshmen watching him and Glynda Goodwitch. They stood among a room of anticipating, anxious, and hopeful students in search of a dream, the dream of becoming a Hunter. They all came for different reasons, but shared one purpose; a burning desire to fight the forces of darkness, and to bring prosperity to themselves and their loved one.

He tapped the mic in front of him, passing a sound check, and began his address.

"I'll ... keep this brief, as it has been a hectic morning for all of you. Many of you have traveled far, in search of knowledge, of purpose, of a new path, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you likely plan to dedicate your life to protecting others or yourselves."

Suddenly, he paused, a vision of something at the door of the Auditorium appearing to him. It was a deer gleaming with light, staring at him, then turning its head away, disappearing into the walls. He blinked, realizing it was an illusion. He lifted his hands from the podium for a moment, then placed them back when he regained his senses. He glanced over the room, Glynda watching carefully and with concern.

"But ... I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, of direction." His tone changed to sternness.

The students began to whisper to one another, confused over the Headmaster's demeanor.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step. It is up to you to decide what you will do with it. Your destiny, the fate of mankind, is in your hands..."

He looked down and stared at the podium, sighing before he backed away from the stage, and left the auditorium through an emergency exit.

Ruby rubbed her eyes, her vision becoming clearer as she recovered, "Is it just me, or did he sound kind of spaced out?"

Yang leaned to the side, and whispered, "Yeah...weird."

Glynda Goodwitch stepped in front of the podium and took over the address. "This meeting has served both as a general orientation and as a welcoming ceremony. The boys will gather in the Observatory and the girls will go to the Ballroom to sleep for the night. I hope you packed your sleepwear. Your initiation begins tomorrow; you will gather at the Beacon Cliffside above Emerald Forest. Goodnight."

Glynda Goodwitch walked off of the stage in a hurry, chasing the Headmaster and leaving the students behind.

As the freshmen left the Auditorium in confusion, Yang held Ruby's hand and walked her outside, "C'mon, sis, let's go clothes shopping. I'll find you some nice red pajamas."

"Okay, Yang. I'd like that."

Ruby adjusted Crescent Rose on her back against her ammo belt, and they stepped outside, ready for their new beginning.

...

Night had come, and the young freshmen of Beacon Academy gathered in their respective areas to rest. Ruby and Yang sat on the floor of the Ballroom - the girl's area - beside each other on their futons, surrounded by many students. Yang wore her brown shorts and a tank top, while Ruby wore her newly purchased pink pajamas with tiny strawberries sewn into them, and a tank top as well. Her sight had finally recovered, so she could could continue gaining familiarity with the campus and its many locations. Crescent Rose and Ember Celica, the sister's primary weapons, rested by their side. The room was dimly lit, perfect for sleep, and most who spoke did so very quietly, considering the female enforcers waiting by the doors that executed a strict quiet policy.

Ruby crossed her legs on her futon, feeling uncomfortable with her attire, "Yang, I don't get why we cant just sleep in our underwear. I don't like this."

"We're not in the woods anymore, sis." Yang stood from her bed. "Some of the folks here think its rude we're not even wearing slippers."

Ruby pointed at a group of students who wore loose sleepwear from the Kingdom of Mistral, "But, look at them, they're practically already in their underwear. How am I supposed to sleep like this!?"

"I've been to the city more times than you, sis." Yang replied, walking to a window next her bed. "It's something you just have to get used to. I think they call it customs, or something like that. Doesn't matter to me, I won't be sleeping tonight anyway." She stared intently through the window. "I have to go to this Junior Club. Supposed to meet with these girls called the Malachite Sisters. I hear they're a pretty hot topic in this school. Maybe I can make some connections."

She was silent for awhile, and Ruby asked, "What are you looking at?"

Yang smiled, staring through a window outside of the opposing observatory building, where boys of various build and stature roamed around shirtless, talking, drinking and playing games, "Oh, I just see some food from next door. Looks Yummy."

Suddenly, she saw Jaune wearing a bunny-shaped pajama suit. He spotted Yang staring at him from afar and he waved, proceeding to dance.

"Yuck." Yang turned away and walked back to her futon. "Suddenly lost my appetite."

Ruby noticed a familiar face sitting down on a bag chair between two end tables in the Ballroom. It was the fierce looking Faunus girl that defended her against crabby Weiss at the entrance of Beacon, eating snack pellets for Faunus students in one hand and reading a book in another.

Yang saw her glancing at the girl and asked, "Do you know her?"

Ruby stood and replied, "Yeah, she helped me when I was getting yelled at. I'm going over there to talk to her."

Ruby approached the girl, Yang following waved and stopped close enough for casual conversation.

"Hi, nice seeing you again." Ruby said.

The girl looked up, her whiskers flaring and the bow on her head hiding her ears moving slightly, "I'm reading."

"Oh." Ruby looked down.

Yang crossed her arms and said mockingly, "Aren't you friendly?"

The girl angered, showing her teeth.

Yang continued, dodging eye contact occasionally, "I like your bow! Matches your black hair, and your bangs. I'm her older sister, by the way."

The Faunus girl grew more irritated.

"Oooookay, this girl's a lost cause. I'm going to get ready for the Junior Club. I'll see you tomorrow morning, sis." she walked away from them, picking up her Ember Celica from beside her futon, placing them over her hands and wrapping them comfortably around her wrist before waving goodbye. "Take care!" She went for the exit, opening the door.

"Goodnight!" Ruby exclaimed, Yang closing the door behind her. A Valiant guard placed a finger over her lips, telling her to quiet down. Ruby looked left and right, grinning, then asked the girl. "What are you reading?"

Suddenly, the girl's anger subsided, looking down at her book, then back at Ruby again, "Well ... Its a story about a man with two souls, each one fighting for control over his body."

Ruby smiled, then blushed as she knocked her heels together, "Oh, I love books." She crossed her arms behind her back, kicking the floor a bit. "Yang used to go to the city and pick them up. She'd read to me almost every night. Took forever for me to go to sleep without her. Its hard for me to read when my sister is around, I always prefer her to read for me: her voice calms me down. The stories of heroes and monsters ... They're one of the reasons I wanted to become a Huntress someday. Its why I started making weapons. Yang won't tell you, but," she leaned forward with her hand against her cheek and whispered, "I helped her make Ember Celica."

"Why do you want to become a Huntress?" the girl asked, placing her book to the side and setting her cat snacks on her lap. "Hoping you'll save the world and live happily ever after?"

"I'm hoping we all will." Ruby answered. "As a girl, I wanted to be like those heroes in those books. I wanted to protect people that couldn't protect themselves."

The girl replied with a smile, "Pretty ambitious for a child." she slowly frowned. "Unfortunately, the world isn't a fairy tale."

"What's your name?" Ruby begged to know her. "How old are you?. Are you a cat Faunus?" She sat down on the floor and faced her.

The girl finally opened up to her, "My name's Blake ... Blake Belladonna. I'm seventeen, and yes..." she grabbed the whiskers above her lips with both hands, and tore them off of her face, blood seeping down to her chin, "I'm ... a cat Faunus."

"Oh No!" Ruby jumped forward, grabbing a blanket from an empty futon and rubbing the blood clean from Blake's face. "Why did you do that?"

"I have my reasons." she replied, pushing Ruby away with her clawed feet. "At least now I can walk around without people pointing it out."

"That's horrible..." Ruby stood up, saddened by what she had witnessed. "You must not like yourself that much? There's nothing wrong with being a Faunus."

"Don't push your luck with me, Ruby Rose." Blake picked up her book, pretending to ignore her.

Ruby smiled, "Hey, you know my name! You must have been listening over here." she thought for a moment, another question coming to mind. "Why did you help me, when I was getting yelled at?"

Blake slid her book down, and looked up at her again, seeming almost guilty in her expression, "Because ... I saw your crest...the rose emblem. You must have come from the Branwen tribe. The Faunus and the Tribes have always been brothers and sisters ... Until recently. Speak of the Gods."

Weiss Schnee stomped into the conversation, Ruby pulling her elbows close to her chest in anxiety, "What in the world are you doing here?!"

Ruby answered, "This is the freshmen girl's area."

Weiss screamed, "I can't sleep with you in here!" a guard signaled her to silence her voice, and she turned to the guard and revolted, "Don't shush me! You know who I am!? I'M WEISS SCHNEE, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company!"

Blake interrupted, "Why do you hate her so much?"

"She's a Hazard to my health!" Weiss raised her voice further, before storming off in some direction far away from the two of them. "Ugh! The people they let here. I swear, I never!'"

As the famous Ice Queen left them, Ruby allowed her heart to settle, placing her hand on her chest and sighing, "It was nice meeting you Blake. I'm going to get some sleep. Goodnight."

Ruby walked back to her futon and jumped in her bed like a monkey, then covered herself in several blankets, immediately snoring.

Blake smiled and waved, "Goodnight."

Then, she felt her Scroll vibrating in her shorts pocket. She picked up the phone, answered the call, and placed it above her head next to her bow, listening through the fabric. She waited for a voice on the other end.

"How are things going on your end, dear?' said a young man on the other side.

"Everything's going according to plan, Adam. The walls are already coming down from inside."


	8. Mankind

Six Years Ago ...

Inside of a cozy yurt, under the light of the shattered moon, buried deep in the Forest of Patch Island, little Ruby lay on her bed against the West corner inside of the tent. She was covered with wolf fur, her scarlet cape encasing her with extra warmth. The fire at the center of the of yurt kept the chill of the seaside winds away, and leftovers from a wild hog stew boiled next to it, giving the air the smell of home and safety. Yet, little Ruby was nervous, and unable to sleep. She bit down on her thumb, the blood against her lip comforting her a little; it was a terrible habit that she had learned, one that her sister would often scorn her for. But, Yang was gone that night. She had been away since morning with their mothers, the shaman Summer Rose and the Chieftain Raven Branwen, in a campaign to thwart off Vale's expansion of territory, one that would see the wilds of Patch destroyed entirely. The thought of such ancient landscapes, the ancestors of Old Vale, being lost in an effort to further Signal Academy's influence, was terrifying.

But, nothing scared little Ruby more than the thought of losing her family to the conflict. She wandered how she could ever sleep again if something horrible happened to her mothers, or if Yang never returned. She thought she could never be happy again if she ever lost her strong sister, who seemed to protect her against everything. She was always more fragile than her Yang, always more afraid.

On that night, not even the guards outside of the yurt gave her solace. So, she sat up in her bed, watching the tapestry covered doorway, waiting for her family to come home. Then, a miracle happened; the door was pushed open, and her older sister peeked her head into the yurt, a big grin on her face, and several bruises on her cheeks.

"Yang!" little Ruby squeaked, jumping out of her bed, her cape covering her neck.

"Sis!" Yang stepped into the yurt, grabbing Ruby from under her arms and lifting her up, charging for her bed and throwing her back into it. It made Ruby laugh with relief. Yang felt invincible to her, the only thing that could make the dangers of living among the Ursai that inhabited the forests of Patch leave her mind.

"You made it home!" Ruby tried to get up from the bed to hug her, but Yang pushed her down on the shoulder and kept her pinned.

"Nuh-Uh!" Yang threatened teasingly, "I told you I'd kick your butt if you bit your fingers again. Time to pay!" she tickled her armpits.

"Stop!" Ruby laughed, kicking her sister away.

Yang grinned, "Is that all you got, feather brain?"

The door to the yurt opened again, Cinder Fall stepping inside and breaking up their playful fight. "Now, now, calm down girls." her voice was as soothing as the sound of the stew boiling next to them, and her long red dress, embroidered with feather patterns, gave her a parental presence. "You two must sleep tonight."

Ruby and Yang walked up to her, holding her around the waist. Cinder crouched down and wrapped her arms around their shoulders, their cheeks pushing together in an embrace.

When Cinder let go of them, Yang stepped back, "The boys didn't give you trouble again did they, aunt?"

Cinder kissed her thumb and rubbed a spot of dried blood clean from Yang's face, "poor Yang, If it were up to me, you would stay home, protecting your sister. You shouldn't be out there with the men. Look what those city dwellers did to your pretty face?"

Ruby nodded, "Yeah. You should stay home with me, sis!"

Yang shook her head, "I have to do what mom says, as mean as she is. Besides, Uncle Qrow is doing his best to keep the worst of them away. Cinder, you've got to tell me; the guys, did they hurt you again?"

Cinder smiled, caressing Yang's head with her fingernails rubbing through her scalp, "Don't you worry about matters of the tribe, girls. That's adult affairs." She sounded upset, a slight hollowness in her throat as she spoke. "You two should be playing, not fighting with us like this." She stood up, patting dirt from her dress. "I won't argue tonight. I'll leave you alone. Remember, you two are precious. Its important that you take care of yourselves, for the good of the Branwen's future."

Yang saw a chair at the other side of the yurt, and she walked over and pulled it close to Ruby's bed, sitting down in reverse with her arms crossed over the back of it, "We'll go to bed soon. Thanks, aunt."

Ruby ran back to her bed, jumping over Yang's head and landing on her blankets, which she threw over her body instantly, "I'll sleep good, Aunty!"

Cinder turned away from them and went for the doorway, opening the flap of the tapestry.

"Goodnight, Aunty!" Ruby yelled.

Cinder looked back, smiling with furrowed brows before leaving the sisters be. There was stillness for a moment, the crackling of coals from the fire reverberating in the yurt.

"Mom and Aunt have been fighting a lot." Yang said, breaking the silence. "I don't know if they'll ever stop."

Ruby changed the subject, "Yang, your face." she frowned. "Your hurt."

Yang leaned forward a bit in her chair, "It's not so bad. Mom makes me defend the back line, so its just a bunch of losers, anyway. Hey, I got something for you!"

Ruby gasped, "From the city?"

Yang nodded, reaching for her belt and into the bag at her side, removing a large hardcover book from it and holding it up for her sister to see.

"A new story!" Ruby kicked her feet under the blankets. "What is it?"

Yang smirked and examined the front cover, "I don't know. I just took what I found." she opened it, and read the title. "Beetles and You..." she paused for a moment, then looked up at her sister.

"...I don't like that story." Ruby said, crossing her arms.

"Eh," Yang threw the book over her shoulder and to another side of the yurt, "guess its time for a classic. What do you wanna hear?"

Ruby covered her face with fur, "The Gods..."

"Again?"

Ruby nodded rapidly, her cheeks lifting up as she grinned.

Yang laughed, resting her chin over her forearms, "You're too predictable, troublemaker. But, okay," she sighed, "here it goes..."

"Long ago, when there was no life, no water, no plants, and no air, and there was only Dust, there were Two Brothers who lived in the Sky. The Older Brother was very sad, and lonely, while the Younger Brother enjoyed the solitude of darkness. One day, the Older Brother grew tired of being alone, and so he created life to look after. He cut his lips with his teeth, and spat into the Dust, and he made the Oceans. He brushed his fingers against the Dust, and drew pretty patterns, creating the flowers and the grass. Then, he gathered Dust in his hands, and he made it into clay, and he carved it. First, he made the Great Corvid, to play in his creation, and he gave him a Semblance of his power."

Ruby interrupted, yawning, "That's our tough mom..."

Yang replied, "Hold on, troublemaker, I'll get to that."

"With that Semblance, the Great Corvid created the fish, the bunnies, the lizards, and birds. He created all the animals, but when he was done, he had nowhere to sit and rest. The Older Brother saw that the Corvid was unhappy, so he needed to create more life. From Dust, he created a Dragon, and he gave it another Semblance of his power. It roamed the Sky, flying higher than the Great Corvid ever could. With her Semblance, she created the mountains, the deserts, the forests, and even the rain. This was the beginning of Old Vale."

"I really like that part." little Ruby said, sniffling.

"You interrupt me a lot, you know that." Yang replied. "Put your head down!"

Ruby's eyes widened and she plopped her head deeper into her fur blankets.

"At first, the Older Brother was happier than ever, and he didn't feel lonely, anymore. But, the Great Corvid grew angry with the Dragon, the storms she created waking him up from his sleep. The Dragon and the Corvid began to fight, and they destroyed many of the Older Brother's creations. The Younger Brother watched his work, and laughed, then said, 'See Brother, the darkness is all that is, and all that will ever be.' But, the Older Brother didn't give up. As his creations fought viciously, he had an idea. He would create a new kind of life after his own image, a life that would be wise, but weak, unable to destroy his work. They would need to Unite to survive. And so, from Dust, he created mankind. Each of them were gifted with a tiny piece of his Semblance, and they used it to make his creation a better place. Man was happy for a little while, but the Older Brother realized that he had made a horrible mistake. Mankind began to fight each other too, over food, and water, and land. They made friends with the Great Corvid and the Dragon, but split into enemy tribes. Without realizing it, the Older Brother had created war. The Younger Brother watched his work again, then laughed and said, 'See Brother, the darkness is all that is, and all that will ever be.'"

Little Ruby opened her eyes after a snore, "I want to hear about the Garden..."

Yang replied, "You're pretty impatient for a tired runt." she sighed. "Okay..."

"His world was too harsh for them to live in. There was not enough for mankind to be happy, so he had one last idea. He drew with his finger in the Dust, and he made Eden, a Beautiful Rose Garden filled with fresh air. Then, he carved one last life from Dust, the Keepers of the Rose Garden, made in his image. He granted them a special piece of his Semblance, the ability to Sow the Garden. The Keepers of Eden learned to carve into Dust themselves, planting flowers, vegetables, fruits and all sorts of wonderful things. Now, mankind would have a safe place to live, a peaceful retreat filled with food and color. Surely, they would never have a reason to fight again? For awhile, the Older Brother was happy, but, mankind became too comfortable. They were petty, fighting over the tiniest of things. Soon, there was another war, and the Older Brother was sadder than he had ever been. The Younger Brother watched his sibling's work again, then laughed and said, "See Brother, the darkness is all there is, and all that will ever be.' The Older Brother felt nothing but grief. So, he finally gave up on his creation, Leaving behind the Remnants of his lost cause..."

"But it wasn't over...mankind continued to live on, and eventually they would face an enemy so powerful, that they would have no choice but to Unite..."

Yang heard snoring under her sister's blanket. She smiled and stood up from her chair, walking over to her loved one's side. She crouched down and looked at her sister's cute, pale face, brushing her hands over her cheek, trapped in a deep sleep. "I'll tell you the rest of it again tomorrow, Ruby."

Yang approached the central fire and removed the lid from the boiling soup pot next to it. She sat down, picked up a ladle and a bowl on a table, and poured herself a hot meal. She drank the broth quickly, despite its heat, enjoying the sounds of humming insects from outside, a brief moment of peace at home.


	9. Yellow

The Shattered Moon – a reminder to all of Remnant of its forgotten history – shined brightly in the sky over Beacon's Commercial District, where Yang Xiao Long walked down the stairway of Crescent Plaza, a group of mostly junior student girls guiding her along the way. They ate snacks together, many of them with ice cream, and Yang chowing on large multi-flavored mochi dumplings. The colorful lights, powered by Dust, cascaded against their hair and clothes, setting the mood for a fun night.

One of girls had just finished telling a joke, and Yang laughed through a full mouth, "Oh Gods! The guys here must be so dense!"

A Junior student patted her back, hard enough to make her choke a little, "Trust me! You'll find out for yourself."

Another girl added, "I once dated this guy, and his dad owned an Atlesian Shipment company. He totally thought he was going to 'become the next Schnee' someday. He was a jerk, but he had a nice butt though."

Yang's eyes widened, "You guys really have no chill in Vacuo, do you?"

"We just like to have fun! Hey, Look!" one of the girls pointed ahead, where a small bar with red lights over it's double door entrance read 'Junior's Club."

Yang stopped for a moment, "So, is this a club for Junior students? I'm just a Freshman. "

The girls gently pushed her forward, making their way toward the establishment, "No, No. Its Junior's Club. The guy who owns the place, his name is Junior. He's cool."

Yang ate the last of her mochi snacks, replying after she swallowed them, "He's a guy? Kind of a weird name for somebody that owns a club."

"A little bit." another girl said.

Yang was steps away from the door when she asked, "So how do these Malachite Sisters know about those thugs that attacked my little sister last night?

"They've been doing a lot of detective work." the shortest girl replied, the entire group stopping with Yang at the front door. "There's been so much crime in Vale lately, especially around Beacon, with the Black Market for Dust and all. Its affected everyone - especially them. But, the Valiant haven't found any clues, and its only getting worse. So, they started their own investigation. Ever since the attack, they've been dying to ask you questions!"

The girls finished their snacks, and Yang asked, "Why wouldn't you ask my sister then?"

"Silly, you have to be over sixteen to drink in Vale. Your sister's fifteen, so she's too young, but you're seventeen right? That means you can get in!" two of the girls grabbed the doorknobs on either side of the entrance. "They're very suspicious, so they meet here in secret, just in case the bad guys might be listening."

A girl standing beside Yang joined, "Its so sad we can't go with you. We're all too young."

Yang raised an eyebrow as the two girls in front of her opened the door to the bar, darkness inside accompanied by strobing white lights, and loud party music booming.

"Don't forget to have fun!" a girl said from behind her, pushing her gently by the shoulders until she was in the bar.

Yang gave a friendly protest, "Hey wait, I'm not so sure about this. Where are you guys going?" the girls began closing the entrance. "This won't be long will it? I have Initiation in a few hours."

In seconds, they closed the doors behind her, the girls gathering in front of it when it clicked shut. One of them wrapped a chain around the two knobs, pulling it tightly, sealing it in place with a pad lock. They all laughed, turning away from the door and taking a few steps away from it.

Then, from a shadow under the bar's roof, the figure of a woman with long, green hair stepped forth, heading to the group of students.

"Nice job girls." the woman met in front of them, holding out a large stack of Lien. "Here's your reward. How you share it is up to you."

"Thanks...what was your name again?" asked one of the girls, snatching the Lien from her hands, the others in the group fighting to get ahold of their share.

"You can call me, Em." the woman replied.

"Okay, Em!" the group stepped away from the scene, still fighting among themselves over the share.

"Take care!" one waved.

"Smell Ya Later!" another said playfully.

"See you, Em!" the tallest one looked back.

Emerald grinned as the girls walked up the stairway of Crescent Plaza, leaving her sight. Then, she returned to the shadows, disappearing completely as a ghost in the night.

…

Yang knew that something was amiss, hearing the sound of a pad lock sealing the door behind her. However, her curiosity was greater than her caution. She looked around the bar, familiarizing herself with it before going further. Everything was painted with black, with red lines crossing into square patterns that littered the walls. The corners of the chairs, counters, and tables were pure white, as was the strobe lighting up the floor. A dance square lay below a staircase at the entrance, older men and women – with few students in between – dancing energetically to the loud music. Beyond them was a man behind a bar counter, waiting above a small set of stairs; he wore a suit that matched the color theme of the bar, his hair slicked back and a thick beard that was trimmed well, pitch black. As the man cleaned beer glasses before several drunk attenders, he spoke to a mysterious man behind the counter.

"Must be the owner." Yang whispered to herself, stepping down the staircase and onto the dance floor. "Wait..." she looked at the mysterious man, wearing a beige coat, a black hat, bright orange hair pulled back and a cane in his hand. She thought she had seen him before, but she could not recall where.

As she walked through the dancers on the floor, bumping shoulders and tripping feet, she kept her eyes on the two of them. Though she could only see his hat through the crowd at first, she caught him stepping aside and leaving the room, taking another staircase that led into the back of the bar. Soon, she made it through the excitement and took the small steps up to the bar. The man in black and white watched as she approached, a bizarre eagerness in his eyes as he set a beer glass down on the counter and waited.

"You must be Junior?" Yang asked, sitting down on a stool with a smile, her elbows on the counter and her chin resting upon her gunshot gauntlets, Ember Celica.

The man replied with a friendly tone, "So you know who I am? Guess it was obvious." he walked around the counter, and he went to Yang's side.

Yang stayed still in her seat, looking him in the eyes, "Aren't you going to ask my name?"

"There's no need." Junior answered, his arms behind him.

"Tell me something..." Yang cocked her left arm, thrusting her palms downward and snatching his crotch tightly. Her grip was like a vice, and Junior leaned forward, a grunt of pain falling from his throat as he tried to breathe. "Where can I find the Malachite Sisters?"

Every dancer in the bar stopped, removing firearms from under their clothes of various calipers, each of them aiming at the Branwen girl, walking as close as they could to her. In moments, she was surrounded with guns, a hollow point Dust pistol nearly pressed against the back of her head.

Yang kept her eyes on Junior, and her grip as well. "Looks like we have an audience."

He laughed, his voice strained, "You stupid little bitch. You really are Raven's...ugh...daughter...but you don't have the brawn to back it up."

"Answer the question!' she squeezed his jewels tighter, and he winced in agony.

"They're right over there!" Junior answered.

He turned his head toward the entrance of the bar, and Yang did the same, finding two twin girls, both with green eyes and black hair, standing next to each other, watching from afar. One wore a beautiful, adorned white dress with tall, high heeled boots, apparent blades attached to the heels; the other wore a scarlet red dress with black trimming, a pair of red high heeled boots and long, steal clawed gloves over her hands.

"Melanie, isn't this the bitch?" said the girl in red.

"That's the Branwen girl, Militia!" the one in white replied.

Militia placed her hand on her side, leaning her hip the other way, "I don't know about you, but I'm excited to get paid!"

Melanie flipped her hair to the side, "Time to teach this Branwen brat a lesson!"

Yang commented as she stared them down, "You two sure like to use naughty words. I'll make you eat all of them. Anyone here brave enough for a one-on-one?"

The sister's grew angry, Militia lifting her hand in the air and screaming, "Now I'm mad! Shut her up!Fire!"

"Hey, wait!" Junior begged them not to shoot.

As the gunfire reigned down, Yang let got of Junior and jumped over the bar, ducking

her head low. Junior ran for a secret exit, barely escaping.

She had taken a few bullets already, but her Aura shattered them before impact, protecting her from most of them. It was a tough game to balance Aura - the essence of one's Semblance formed into a shield around the body - with the need to return attacks. When a Semblance was used to strike, it compromised the Aura, and when the Aura was focused, it weakened the Semblance. Yet, for Yang the game was the battle. Her Semblance, properly known as Burn, would store potential energy from oncoming attacks into her hair, causing it to glow. She could store an immense amount of power, then unleash it against her enemies in one destructive blow. But, it was not without faults. Storing the energy required concentration, which sacrificed the integrity of her Aura over time. The Aura itself was not impenetrable, and could only absorb attacks in proportion to her own Semblance's strength. If she became over confident, she could injure herself badly, and lose all of her stored energy in the process.

Assessing her odds, bullets flying over her head endlessly, she reached into the pocket of her leather skirt, removing a clip of ammunition from it, then loading her Ember Celica individually with them. It was only six shots in total, but it was enough to get by.

Suddenly, the gunfire stopped. She held her breath, and listened from behind the counter.

"Did we get her?" yelled Melanie.

"Is the bitch dead?" Militia questioned.

Yang did not waste the opportunity, quickly poking her head up from behind the counter, her eyes turning red as her Aura flared. Before anyone could react, she swung her fist in the air, sending a flaming bullet down into the center of the crowd, a large explosion erupting in the bar upon impact. It was a fraction of the potential of her Semblance. As bodies flew across the room, she followed with another attack from Ember Celica launching another bullet into the crowd. There was blood at every corner, and the screams now drowned the music out in the entirely.

Then, the assault rifles fired from the upper floors. A few bullets managed to break through her Aura, enough for the metal shards to make it through the skin. Her hair began to glow brighter, and her eyes turned from red to crimson. She punched the air in one direction at the upper floor, another explosive bullet sending her enemies to their knees. Then, she followed with another, this time on the opposite side, clearing the room of most potential firearm threats.

The Malachite Sisters jumped down onto the bloody dance floor, and screamed together, "Enough!"

The Sisters' Aura illuminated with red and white as they pressed their backs together. Yang threw a punch in their direction, sending a bullet their way, but the sisters jumped high up in opposite directions, avoiding the blast altogether. Melanie kicked her bladed heels down, a wave of razor sharp energy firing at Yang, Then, Militia sspun her clawed gloves around, sending a triple wave of similar energy at the Branwen girl..

There was no direction that Yang could go to dodge the attack. She held her Ember Celica in front of her face, screaming with rage, and the power of the Malachite Sisters' Semblance was swept down upon her. She was pushed back against the bar counter, her guard falling loose, and her Aura growing weaker. When the last wave of razor strikes passed through her body, her Aura faded. She felt a sharp pain in her side, and she fell to her knees, her hands on the floor. She looked down at her hip, blood soaking into her jacket, and down to her knees.

Yang held her head down, breathing heavily, unable to flex her muscles.

The Malachite Sisters landed gracefully back on the floor, then walked up to her, their heels being the only things in her ray of vision. They looked down at her, smirked, then laughed.

Melanie mocked. "Guess your mommy couldn't save you this time, Yang!"

"Cinder gives her regards." said Militia, preparing her claws for a final attack.

"It's been fun!" They said together. "Sweet Dreams!"

Yang chuckled, confusing the sisters for a moment, then infuriating them.

"Whats so funny?" they demanded an answer.

Yang looked up at them with a vicious grin, but this time her eyes were different than before. Her pupils were elongated, and her irises seemed to glisten like gems. Then, her hair rose up into the air, shining with a golden Aura surrounding it. Her Ember Celica began to burn, the metal radiating heat until it damaged her skin. She jumped up from the floor, her arms held tightly against her waist, her legs spread and placed firmly to ground.

It was the true potential of her Semblance, the skill that made her revered among all members of the Branwen Tribe.

"No one has ever cornered a Dragon!" she screamed, then let out a battle cry that deafened the sisters.

With a thrust of both of her fists, flames erupted everywhere. Outside of Junior's Bar, the walls around the entrance completely collapsed, the force of the explosion within sending debris all across Crescent Plaza. As the flames wilted away swiftly, the wind began to howl. Smoke and embers were the only things that remained of the establishment. From the ashes within, Yang emerged, her hand placed on her hip, covering her injury. If she was lucky, it would be more minor than it appeared. But, luck was something all too close to home. When she heard sirens going off from somewhere nearby, she limped away in the night, heading back to Beacon, in hopes to return in time for her Initiation.

…

The sun was just about to rise for morning, as Yang opened the door to the campus Ballroom. The guards gossiped over her wounds, as did many of the students moving about, readying for the day. But, she ignored them, instead looking to her sister, who lay on her back under futon blankets, an empty bed next to her. She stepped over books and weapons, until she crouched down over her sister and smiled.

"Hey sis, wake up." she said. "Initiation is about to start." she tapped Ruby's forehead. "Hey, feather brain? Don't you want to be a Huntress? Hey, Ruby?"

Suddenly, she became concerned, placing her hands behind her sister's head and shaking her gently.

"No, not again! Sis, wake up! Sis! Ruby!"

"RUBY!"

Her sister finally woke, opening her eyes very slowly. She looked up at Yang, furrowing her brows as she saw her sister's damaged cheeks.

"Yang..." her voice was weak from slumber. "You got hurt again."

Yang sighed with relief, leaning down and hugging her sister tightly, then laying her head back down on her pillow, "I'm okay Ruby, as long as you are." her eyes watered.

"Yang...I saw her again..."

"What did she say?"

.

.

.

"I...can't remember."


	10. Initiation

In the freshman locker Room of Beacon Academy, a male student with feathered black hair sat on a bench near his weapon storage unit, a ponytail down to his rear, and a single purple streak of hair to the left side of his head. He wore a green tailed coat with black patterns on the waist and golden trimmings, and a pair of comfortably fitting tan-pants and black shoes. On the gun belt wrapped around his hip and under his coat were a set of pine green semi-automatic pistols in their holsters. Ignoring the many freshmen surrounding him, he ate his breakfast – a burnt pancake with no toppings in a napkin – and meditated.

"It's Morning!" A female student with bright orange hair and aqua eyes hopped energetically behind him, holding a pancake between her lips. "It's Morning! It's Morning!"

The black haired student sighed, quickly finishing his pancake.

The female student tossed her pancake into the air, opening her mouth and letting it fall onto her tongue. She chewed it up swiftly and swallowed, patting the other student on his shoulder rapidly. "Ren, I can't believe its been a whole day at Beacon!" she kissed the back of his head. "Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything, but you know, you're a perfect student, but me, well, I'm me!" she placed her hands over the heart-shaped cut to her chest on her bizarrely armored vest, kicking her heel up, then jumping on top of Ren's shoulders with her calves under his arms. She sat comfortably on his head, her pink skirt draping over his eyes. "It's just so crazy, you know!" she rocked back and forth on him.

Ren blushed as he chewed the last bites of his breakfast and pushed his head out from under her skirt. He stood up from the bench, and the female student leaned back, flipping away from him, landing on her hands and swinging her feet down until she jumped back to a stand. "What are the odds that we'd still be together like this, right?" she pushed her hands to her hips and straightened her back, a prideful smile on her face for a moment until she suddenly turned her head away and rubbed her forearm. "Oh, shoot. I probably shouldn't go around saying it so loud!" She held out her open palm. "But, its weird right? That we're still together?"

Ren walked to his weapon locker, turning back to her and replying with a light grunt.

"Right..." she said. "Well we should make sure we end up on the same team." she walked behind him and watched as he opened his locker. "I know! We'll bribe the headmaster!" several students looked at her in surprise, some laughing and other's with repulsion. "No, that won't work. He has the school. Wait, I know! We'll make a signal, so we don't get lost in the forest. Can you imitate a sloth?"

"Nora?" Ren replied grabbing a unique dagger from his locker and attaching with its scabbard to his gun belt.

"Yeah?" the female student answered.

Ren looked to both sides, squinting a little, "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."

Nora stepped beside him, her index finger on her lips as she thought to herself for a moment, "That's..." she grabbed his head and pressed it against her chest, shaking him, "...why it's PERFECT. No one will suspect we're working together!"

Ren smiled as Nora let go of him, stepping aside and waking toward the exit, "Come on, Nora. Let's go."

Nora squealed, "Together-Together-Together!"

Along their path, they crossed the Branwen sisters. Ruby crouched on one knee, examining Yang's injuries as she lifted the flap of her jacket and the bandages covering her scabs. She held a pair of large tweezers in her hand, pinching a piece of sharp lead buried under the skin from the scuffle the night before.

"Yang! This is, like, the hundredth time!" Ruby scolded her, trying to pull the metal out as it resisted. "You've got to be more careful. What am I going to do if I lose you. Don't you think about your little sister, and how upset she'd be?"

Yang gritted her teeth, squeamish from watch her skin being tugged, "Ah, be careful. You're overreacting, sis. Besides, now I know my way around the city a little better. Did you see those two just now." She looked over at the exit, watching Ren and Nora shut the door as they left the room. "I wonder what's up with them, anyway?" She breathed through her teeth. "Gods, sis, just pull the thing out already!"

"I'm sorry!" Ruby gasped. "I don't want to hurt you."

Yang took a deep breathe, "Okay, I'm going to count to three, then you can pull as hard as you can, okay?"

Ruby pouted, worry in her eyes, "Okay. Here it goes. One..."

Yang followed, "...Two..."

"Three!" Ruby pinched the lead shard and pulled it out of Yang's skin in a quick motion, a much larger piece coming out than they expected, but not enough to further her injuries.

"Ah!" Ruby dropped the tweezers on the floor and backed up with her hands over her lips.

"Ah Tah tah tah..." Yang jumped up and down for a few seconds, rubbing her injury until the stinging stopped. "ouch, ouch...thanks, sis." She pulled her bandages back down over her side and readjusted her jacket.

Ruby closed her eyes, opening them again when she settled her mind, "Anytime, Yang."

Yang cracked her neck, "You sure have gotten better at controlling your stress. Haven't seen you have a meltdown since we got here."

Ruby smiled, placing her hands behind her back and on Crescent Rose in its portable rifle form. She began to sing as she removed the weapon from her belt and held it in front of her, caressing it. "Its a new daaaayy … a whole new dayyy!"

Yang raised a brow, "You seem awfully chipper this morning?"

She pressed a switch on Crescent Rose, transforming it into its scythe form, then caressing the scope on the pole. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I know there's a lot going on, but aren't you excited!" she placed the edge of the blade on her cheeks. "We're going to be Huntresses!"

Yang crossed her arms, grinning when she saw the happiness in her sister's eyes, "Look at you, growing up. Then again, you still sleep with your pillow between your legs and in your arms."

"You sound like Dad." Ruby replied.

"You can't be introverted you're whole life, you know. There's a reason I went out last night. Pretty soon you're going to have to start meeting people, and learn to work together with them."

"Okay, first of all, what does meeting new people have to do with fighting?" Ruby raised a finger. "Secondly, I don't need help growing up." she sneered playfully. "I drink milk."

Yang continued, "Well, what are you going to do when we form teams? You'll have to do more than just make friends; you need to talk to strangers, take and give orders. You can't just fight on your own."

Ruby pulled the switch on Crescent Rose, returning it to rifle form and attaching it to the back of her belt, "Umm...I don't know...I made one friend already, but giving orders..." her eyes furrowed as she tapped her fingertips together. "I'll just be on your team."

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?"

"Sis!" Ruby rejected. "You said it yourself, we have to stick together!"

Yang held her hands up, "Woah, calm down, feather head. I said we should be on different teams. That doesn't mean we have to separate. I'm still not sure how this whole thing works yet myself."

Ruby stomped forward, pushing her face closer to Yang's with an angry frown, "Are you implying that you don't want to be on the same team as me?"

Yang laughed a bit, "I just want you to break out your shell, that's all."

"I'm not a turtle!" Ruby turned with her chin up.

"Way to miss the point, sis."

Suddenly, Jaune walked into the scene, shaking his head slowly with a look of dismay, a map in his hands. "Ridiculous! There's no way I put my weapon in locker 636. I would've remember having to count that high. Why does this have to happen today."

"Hey, that's my friend!" Ruby waved to him as he walked by. "Hi, Jaune!"

He ignored her, and continued to mumble to himself, "Oh, what am I gonna do?"

Yang watched him pace around with amusement, "Vomit Boy, huh? So much for making friends."

Ruby leaned forward with a pout.

"Hey, sis?" Yang gathered Ruby's attention, holding her arms open and smiling. "Come here."

Ruby's frown turned upside down as she went to her sister, who held her tightly and comforted her. "What am I going to do with you."

Ruby muttered through her shoulder, "I'm not scared. I know mom's watching..."

Yang pet her sister's head, "A lot of good that did for me yesterday. But, don't worry. I've got you're back."

"Its not that, Yang." Ruby pushed herself away, looking back at her with a sad expression. "I don't know how to save aunty."

"Sis..."

Suddenly, she saw someone staring at them from behind Ruby's shoulder a few lockers down. It was Weiss Schnee, fists clenched tightly in front of her dress and making a spiteful smirk as she peered at them.

"Looks like somebody's unnerved." Yang said.

Ruby turned around, Weiss looking away before she could notice.

The Ice Queen looked at a red haired female student next to her locker, a long and curly ponytail down her back, wearing a leather overbust corset and a scarlet skirt. On her legs she wore a set of bronze greaves, and on one arm a leather bracelet. Weiss recognized the red sash on her waist, and the weapons she pulled from her locker, Milò and Akoúo̱, a red sniper-spear and a circular golden shield of Mistral.

"Hey," Weiss called to her as she placed her weapons on her person, "you're Pyrrha Nikos, the Pride of Mistral."

Pyrrha smiled awkwardly, "Yeah, that's me." she looked to either side, feeling uncomfortable.

"I've seen your shows! You're incredible!" Weiss tilted her head with a performative grin.

The chains dangling from Pyrrha's head circlet danced as she shook her head, "Well...it is just a show."

Weiss flipped her ponytail with a whip of her head, "So, Pyrrha, have you given any thought as to what team you want to be on? I'm sure everyone is eager to have a well-known girl, such as yourself, on their team."

Pyrrha scratched her head, "Well, actually I was just planning to let the chips fall where they may."

"Oh, hey!" Jaune stepped into the conversation, his face close to Pyrrha's. "You know who else is great? Me, Jaune Arc! Nice to meet you, Pyrrha."

She chuckled as he held his hand out for a greeting, and she shook it with a warm smile, "Nice to meet you, Jaune!"

Weiss piped in, "Jaune, do you have any idea who you are talking to?"

"Yeah, her name is Pyrrha." Jaune answered with a dumb grin, Pyrrha still chuckling at him.

"You knucklehead, this is the Pride of Mistral." Weiss pointed at her. "She's on the cover of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes."

"Woah, really!?" Jaune placed his hand over his chin. "But, they only give that honor to star athletes and cartoon characters."

Weiss revealed, "She won the Mistral Regional Tournaments four years in a row! Of course she's a star athlete!"

Jaune said, "The what?"

Weiss groaned in frustration.

"Yeah," Pyrrha interrupted, avoiding eye contact, "it was pretty cool, I guess. Sadly, that cereal isn't very good for you, though."

Weiss recovered her composure and asked, "So what are you doing as a freshman at Beacon? Aren't you a student at Sanctum Academy?"

"Well, yeah, but Beacon is the most famous academy in all of Remnant. I don't mind starting over as a freshman here."

"Wow." Jaune responded to what he heard. "You must be pretty good."

"So, Jaune," Weiss gestured him to Pyrrha, "after all of this, do you really think there is even a remote possibility of her being on your team?"

Jaune thought about the question for a moment, then his head fell forward, "I guess not."

Pyrrha interjected, "Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader!"

"D'oh, stop it." Jaune blushed and flicked his wrist.

Weiss added, "Seriously, please stop it. This kind of behavior should not be encouraged."

Jaune placed an arm on Pyrrha's shoulder, staring at Weiss, "Looks like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune, Ice Princess. Spots are filling up quickly. I'm not supposed to say this but," he leaned up to her Pyrrha's and mocked a whisper, "maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you. What do you say?"

Pyrrha laughed with a hand over her lips, trying to maintain a straight face but failing. Then, the Branwen sisters walked over to them, interrupting the circle.

"How's it going?" Yang waved.

Weiss looked at Ruby and snarled, "Not you again!"

Pyrrha held up her hand, her social awkwardness beginning to disappear, "Hi again!"

Ruby smiled at the Pride of Mistral and welcomed, "It's so awesome to see you here. I've heard about you!"

Pyrrha's discomfort returned, "Yeah..."

Weiss grew enraged, screaming at Ruby, "Do you have to butt in to everything I do?"

"Sorry..." Ruby blinked back at her.

"I haven't seen your shows before, but I've heard about them." Yang said. "I actually know more about your dad than anything."

"Oh, yeah," Pyrrha changed her tone, "he was a good man. Truth is I never saw him much growing up. I was raised by my mother."

"We can relate." Yang replied. "Sorry for your loss. Our mom was really upset when he died."

"Wait, who was your mom?" Pyrrha asked in confusion.

Weiss joined out of curiosity, "Wait, your mom knew her father?"

"Well, seems like everyone already knows we're from the Branwen Tribe." Yang looked at her sister.

Ruby answered with a somber expression, "We have two moms. One of them...passed away."

Yang grabbed her sister's back, then finished, "Our other mom is kind of a pain. Her name's Raven."

"YOUR MOM IS RAVEN!?" All but Pyrrha reacted with shock.

Weiss' jaw dropped as she pointed at Ruby, "I knew you were a Branwen, but, you're that savage's daughter!?"

Jaune gave his opinion, "That's incredible! Can I be a Branwen, too?"

Pyrrha laughed at Jaune again, before addressing the Branwen sisters, "I see. My dad taught her to use a sword. But, that was a long time ago."

Weiss was shaking with disbelief, "Your dad did what?! She's killed thousands of people. She's a terrorist!"

"Look who knows everything, Ice Princess." Yang mocked her, Weiss clenching her fist at the insult.

"Hey, you shouldn't judge them until you know them." Pyrrha countered. "Mistral is so close to Menagerie, the Faunus' home country. Some people consider her a hero there."

"Well, yeah, of course they do!" Weiss replied. "That's because Mistral started the Great War in the first place!"

Jaune corrected, "I think they call it the Dust Wars in this Kingdom."

"Are you still here?!" Weiss yelled.

Pyrrha distracted, "Maybe we should talk about this some other time."

"Is it true?" The Branwen sisters heard a voice behind them, turning to it to find Blake, the cat Faunus they met in the Ballroom last night, looking at them with astonishment. "Is Raven really your mother?"

The sisters looked at each other, and nodded, Yang replying, "Yeah. What about it?"

Blake looked into Yang's eyes, spotting a small flicker of light that changed a part of her iris from lilac to red. Without saying a word, she walked off into the crowd of freshmen, leaving them be.

Then, an announcement from Glynda Goodwitch came over the comm system.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for Initiation. Again, All first-year students report to Beacon Cliff for Initiation!"

"Looks like we've got to get going." said Yang, holding her sister's hand and walking toward the exit. "See you guys at Initiation!"

Ruby waved as her big sister dragged her away. "I'll see you guys later! Good Luck!"

"It was nice meeting you, Jaune." Pyrrha said as she stepped past him and made her way to the exit too.

"Hey, wait!" Jaune followed her.

Weiss took a deep breath, then began her way her journey to the outdoors of Beacon. Soon, the entire freshman class would take the first step to becoming a Hunters and Huntresses.

…

At the top of Beacon Cliff, overlooking the vast greenery of Emerald Forest - its trees as old as Vale itself - the freshman students of Beacon stood atop an array of metal tiles built into the ground. Glynda Goodwitch stood at the edge of the cliff, waiting for the headmaster to arrive and address the students At the front row of the metallic tiles, the Branwen sisters waited next to each other, their weapons readied and on guard.

"So, all of those clubs you went to, they were all fake?" Ruby asked her sister.

"I don't know." Yang replied, her hand on her hip. "But, I haven't heard from any of those girls since yesterday. I'm starting to think they never were students. I think Cinder planned on separating us when we arrived."

Ruby looked at Crescent Rose as she held it in scythe form, a look of concern upon her, "That would explain why the Grimm were waiting in the tunnels when we got here. Oh, Yang, what are we going to do?"

Yang spotted Ozpin walking up the Cliff from the corner of her eye, and decided to ask Goodwitch a question before Initiation began,"Headmistress?"

She gained Glynda's attention.

"Have you heard of the Malachite Sisters? I was told they were pretty popular on campus."

Glynda blinked a few times as she thought of an answer, "I recognize most students on campus within the year, and I don't recall any students with that name or reputation."

The sisters looked at each other with concern. A discussion over the matter would have to wait, as Ozpin finally arrived to the Cliff's edge, a coffee mug in one hand and his cane in the other. He looked at the new student body, his hair blowing against the chilling air of Vale's windy forest, taking a single sip from his mug before beginning his speech.

"Many of you have trained for years to become warriors. Today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Goodwitch joined, "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams.' Well, allow us to end your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...today."

The freshman collectively whispered among themselves, Ruby muttering, "What?"

Ozpin continued, "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So its in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

Ruby groaned, "Uh oh..."

Yang looked at her sister and said, "I don't like where this is going."

Ozpin took a sip of coffee from his cup, "You carry a Scroll in your pockets, the communication device powered by the Atlas' CCTS. The moment you land in the forest, the radio on your Scroll will activate. When you are within ten feet of another student, the Scroll will beep. When it does, that person will be your partner for the next four years."

"WHAAAT!?" Ruby screamed, the other freshmen also expressing concern.

Jaune gulped from the front row of the array of metal tiles.

Ozpin continued, "You will be monitored and graded from the activity recorded on your Scroll for the duration of you Initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several artifacts. Once paired with a teammate, each of you must choose one artifact and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Jaune raised his hand, "Yeah, um, sir?"

Ozpin ignored him, "Good! Now, take your positions."

The students readied their legs, placing them firmly to the ground and building their Aura around their feet.

"Uh, sir, I've got a -" he watched as a metal tile below Weiss Schnee launched her several feet into the air and over the cliff, sending her flying over Emerald Forest. "Oh, boy, that's what that does?" he gulped again. "Are you, going to like... you know.. drop us off, or something?"

Ozpin laughed, "You have a good sense of humor, Jaune." Several more students were launched into the sky against the launch pads. "Anyone who passed the exam would know about the Deployment Station. Naturally, you'll use your Aura to control your landing. But, you passed with a gifted score on the exam, so you certainly know that already, don't you?"

The line of students to his side had almost completely been launched over the forest, and Jaune began to sweat in nervousness, "Hehe, yeah your right. Everything will be - " His Deployment Station launched him and the remaining students high into the air, and he screamed loudly as he soared away.

Glynda Goodwitch stepped to the headmaster's side as he grinned at the sight of the students reaching the clouds, Their Aura's glowing with a rainbow of varying colors, "Sir, I can't help but agree that there must be a better way to place these students during Initiation in the future."

Ozpin took another sip from his coffee mug, and replied, "Allow me these simple pleasures, Ms. Goodwitch."


	11. The Emerald Forest

Over the dense span of Emerald Forest, the new students of Beacon Academy fell into the leaves and into the brush, their Aura's glowing in the air, like shooting stars landing upon Remnant. Among them was Ruby, conjuring the power of her Semblance, her body surrounded with rose petals, her cape wrapping around her dress, buds of flowers growing all around her. As her weight lightened, she held Crescent Rose in its scythe form firmly in her hands, making sure not to lose it on the way. Then, a raven crossed paths with her on descent, and she panicked.

"No, birdie!" she screamed, pressing the switch on her weapon, compacting it into its gun form and holstering it behind her belt. "birdie!" she held her hands in front of her, a bed of roses forming on her palms and between her fingers. She snatched the bird in mid-air, the petals mitigating the impact, and held it close to her chest as she fell into the forest. She broke through the leaves, and her back broke through a few branches on the way.

Eventually, her shoulder blades slid against the dewy grass, her clothes grinding into the mud as she conjured roses below her to absorb the force. When she finally came to a halt, she opened her arms, which covered the creature from harm, hoping to find it in good health. To her pleasant surprise, the raven was unharmed.

She grinned, "Good birdie..." the raven was upset from the action. She released her Aura, and sat up on the ground, letting the bird go until it walked on the ground. "Sorry, friend, I didn't mean to scare you."

Ruby stood up and patted the grime from her skirt, shaking her dress to remove grass blades. She watched the raven waddle away and turn back to her, letting out a single caw as it stared up at her. She looked around, widened her lips, then looked carefully at it.

"...Mom?"

Immediately, the raven dropped a ball of dung.

"Hm, I guess not." Ruby walked by her little friend, waving goodbye as she began a sprint. "Stay out of trouble!"

She made her way into the forest, in search of her sister.

….

Yang flew further over the forest than some of the other students, having cleverly conserved a portion of her Aura in her legs for a boost before launch. As many students landed into the brush below her, she pushed her legs forward as she watched her dangerous descent.

"Woo-Hoo!" she screamed, readying a single explosive bullet into Ember Celica, then locking the barrel under the wrist. Just as she was about to land at high velocity, she pushed her hands outward and strengthened her Aura, unleashing an explosion in front of her that both charged her Semblance and slowed her motion. "Yeah!"

She held her arms over her face as she cut through leaves and twigs. Then, she crashed into a large branch unexpectedly, losing a little breath from the blow, which pushed into her diaphragm.

"Ommph..." she fell backward, hitting another branch, then landing face down on the ground. When she recovered, she spat mud from her lips, and pushed herself back to her feet, surveying her location and finding herself in an open grove.

"Nailed it."

…

Pyrrha Nikos spotted a perfect branch on a high spot in the forest, one that would give her a perfect vantage point. She held her shield, Akoúo̱, in front of her, using it to lessen her fall as she crashed into thick patches of leaves and stems. When her feet touched the surface, she rolled into the fall and stood up on the branch. Immediately, she grabbed the spear on her back, Miló, transforming it into a long rifle, looking through the scope to examine the forest. She heard someone screaming in the air, bringing her sights to the source, finding Jaune Arc waving his arms in the air as he neared a landing. When she saw no sign of his Aura, she made the decision to help him. She pulled her weapon over her shoulder, switching it back to spear form; then – with impressive form – she threw it out into the open. Just before Jaune landed in position, the sound of wood-to-metal reverberated in the air.

"Thank you!" she heard Jaune say from afar, and she smiled.

She had successfully saved her silly friend from the dangerous fall.

…

Ruby dashed through the forest, heading northward in search of her sister. Although she encountered a few obstructions along the way, it slowed her down very little, as she knew well how to navigate the terrain, even though she was unfamiliar with the Emerald Forest itself. Hearing only the sound of the grass below her feet and the wind against the trees, she lost herself in thought.

"Gotta find Yang! Gotta find Yang! I don't want to get paired with someone I can't even talk to. Aw, this is bad. I'm getting anxious, again. But, what if somebody finds her first? Well, there's always Jaune. He's nice, and he's funny … but he's probably not that good in a fight though. Oh, what about Blake? She's mysterious, and she likes books! Then again, I'm not sure I'd even be able to hold a conversation with her. Okay! Who else do I know … there's Blake, Jaune, and Yang … then … "

Ruby was caught by the sight of a girl with long white hair blowing in the wind. Before she crashed into her, she slid against the heel of her boots, stopping just behind her. She was awestruck, the girl's back turned to her, holding a long rapier with Dust crystals loaded into the hand guard, her dress dancing in the wind, the crimson lining under her jacket collar waving elegantly. Ruby blushed as she observed her prideful stance, her form like appearing like a dancer's, ready to leap into a pretty spin.

Then, the girl turned around, and Ruby spotted a familiar red scar on the girl's left eye. Time seemed to stand still for just a moment as they met eyes with one another.

"Hi...Weiss." Ruby blinked and smiled, waving her hand gently.

Weiss turned and faced her. Then, a loud beep erupted from their Scrolls.

Ruby thought to herself, "Well, this isn't so bad! Maybe we can be friends, now."

Then, Weiss stomped her foot in the dirt, screaming loudly into the air, startling Ruby as she covered her ears with her hood.

"YOU DOLT!" Weiss threw her arms down. "NOW I'M STUCK WITH YOU! No, No!" She removed the Scroll on her belt, desperately navigating the menu screen with her thumbs in a panic. "C'mon, c'mon! There's got to be a way to reverse this!" she grit her teeth. "Maybe, I can call daddy? He should be able to pull some strings, right?" her arm fell loosely to her side, still holding the Scroll, and she pinched the bridge of her nose with her other hand. "No. No … I don't want to do that." she looked at Ruby with a scowl. "You!"

Ruby frowned, uncovering her head. "Did anyone tell you how scary you are?"

Weiss placed her Scroll back on her belt, "Shut up. Just, leave me alone!" she turned away and walked deeper into the forest.

"Wait," Ruby reached forward, "aren't we teammates, now?"

Ruby was left alone, and a sudden sadness overcame her. As she stood in the open spot of the forest, she drowned out the noise of her surroundings, thinking of home. She remembered the taste of the food, the sound of the music, and the warmth of her family. Suddenly, she felt more displacement than she had already garnered the moment she entered the City of Vale. Unlike her sister, she was unaccustomed to the fast paced nature of modern living. Even within Emerald Forest, where the sound of wildlife and the smell of dew seemed closer to home, she could not ignore the constant reminders that told her just how far away she was.

"I miss you, mom." she crouched down on her knees, her head held down. "I'm not strong like Yang. I wish you were here, telling me a story, making me feel brave. I don't know if I can do it, be a hero, like in the stories." tears began to fall from her eyes, and she grabbed the end of her cape. "I want things to go back to the way they were. I wish things could just..."

Suddenly, she heard footsteps; she looked up, finding Weiss as she emerged from behind the trees. She approached her, kneeling down and offering her hand.

"C'mon, Get Up!" Weiss said, jolting her palm down, urging Ruby to grab on.

Ruby grabbed her hand, and the Ice Queen pulled her up to her feet. She tugged on her arm, and they advanced northward together through the mysterious forest. Ruby was taken aback, stepping awkwardly as she felt her heart sink. Suddenly, she forgot about her feeling of displacement, her eyes set on Weiss as she frowned and pushed through the woods.

"You Came Back!" Ruby said with relief, a blush overcoming her cheeks.

"Don't think this makes us friends!" Weiss replied. "I'm just doing my duty as a leader. If I get a bad grade because of you, I'm going to the headmaster."

Ruby giggled, taking comfort in the warmth of Weiss' palm, "You really came back!"

"Are you still on about that?" Weiss countered, "Don't make me change my mind. I swear, whose idea was it to let a child into Beacon? You are so slow."

Ruby snapped out of her emotional trance for a moment as Weiss walked faster and pulled on her wrist with more force, "Hey, I'm not slow, see!"

Ruby summoned her Semblance, her hands fading away into rose buds which bloomed quickly. Weiss felt a change on her palm, turning back to find the Branwen girl's body surrounded with large roses, until her face was engulfed by flowers. Thousands of petals shot by the Ice Queen, a gust of wind following them. She watched in amazement and confusion, as the roses collected into a mass several steps away from her, forming into a giant scarlet rose that bloomed rapidly. The petals wilted away, Ruby emerging from inside with her head held high and her cape blowing upward against the current of her power.

"See!" Ruby stretched her arms and ran back to Weiss as the roses disintegrated away, excessive excitement in her eyes as she held her hands together and smiled in front of her.

"How did you - "

Ruby interrupted, "Weiss, just because I don't know exactly how to deal with people, doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with Grimm!" Ruby jumped forward, hugging Weiss around the shoulders tightly. "Today, I'm going to show you a whole different side of me!" Weiss struggled to break free, growing frustrated and angry. "You're going to see me, and say, 'Wow, she's so cool! I wanna be her friend!'"

Weiss wiggled free and stepped back, proceeding to throw a slap at Ruby's cheek that was strong enough to push her away. Ruby was startled a bit as her head turned away.

"Did your mother ever teach you any manners!?" Weiss yelled, her shoulders tensed, grimacing.

Ruby glanced at her, rubbing her cheek to take the stinging away, "Did your mom teach you to hurt people when they're trying to be nice?"

Weiss gasped, surprised by the question. She looked down and repelled her gaze, her anger subsiding. "No..."

Ruby saw the sadness in Weiss' expression, immediately sympathizing, "Someone must have hurt growing up, huh?"

Weiss turned her head a little more, thinking deeply. Soon, she faced Ruby again, avoiding eye contact, "I'm sorry … I shouldn't have hit, you." she shook her head, putting away her feelings. "But, that's beside the point!" she stepped forward, walking ahead of Ruby and behind a row of trees.

"Hey!" Ruby called out. "Where are you going? We're teammates, remember?"

Weiss disappeared into the forest, "Listen, Ruby, you may be fast, but you still excel at wasting my time!"

Ruby pursed her lips, furrowing her brows with irritation. Then, she looked down for a moment. "Wait a minute …" she held her chin up and grinned widely, "She remembered my name!"

"Ruby!" Weiss yelled within the brush, and Ruby chuckled.

"RUBY!"

This time, the call was followed by the roar of a beast. Ruby was immediately alerted, placing her hand on Crescent Rose, then sprinting to her new teammate's aid.


	12. Spirit

On the northern side of Beacon Cliff, Cinder Fall sat upon a stone with her legs crossed over the edge, watching over Emerald Forest as the new students traversed different paths toward the temple at the center. Her hair draped over her left eye as she smiled, the wind blowing against her skirt, the Dust infused embroidery of her dress glowing brightly.

"You were supposed to start the journey back by now, Cinder." a voice from the Scroll on her thigh belt said. "Her majesty won't be pleased."

Cinder tilted her head to the side, spotting several Grimm looking through the leaves below, their red eyes peering through darkness, "Arthur, don't spoil my fun. I want to stay a little longer."

"You're lucky her Majesty favors you." he said, frustration in his voice. "Don't think you can get away with anything, however, just because you're her favorite pet."

Cinder chuckled, biting her bottom lip to blood. "I do love putting a thorn in your day. Tell me something, Arthur." she glanced southward to the pique of a distant mountain, which overlooked the forest of Old Vale. "Have you heard of the legend of the Dragon over Glenn?"

The Scroll emitted static, until Arthur answered, "It's been awhile, but it rings a bell. Glenn city may be long gone, but I recall something about a story like that."

Cinder stood up, an almost serene expression on her face as the wind grew stronger, her dress swaying with the gust, "The Corvids tell the legend down through generations, the story of a dragon that still sleeps in the mountain. There was a great battle there against the darkness, the Grimm. It's said that he will wake from his sleep, someday, when the time is right." she held her hand under lip, watching a drop of blood-mixed saliva fall into it.

Arthur inquired, "What exactly are you getting at? Do you plan on testing the legend?"

She closed her eyes, grinning, "Just a little story, that's all." she heard the sound of roaring Ursai within Emerald Forest, then brought her eyes to the ruins of the abandoned temple at the center, its brittle stone structures still set high above the growth. "It makes me sad, to see these poor students not getting the best out of their education. I think, we should test them properly, don't you think?" she held her bloody spit over the cliff's edge.

Arthur grunted, then replied, "Cinder, you have your orders. If you know what's best for you, you'll leave your nieces out of harm's way, for now. Any further attention on us jeopardizes the mission. Let Torchwick do his work. Punishment for insolence will be dealt in full, Ms. Fall, I mean … Branwen."

Cinder moaned, nearly dropping the blood as she blushed with her knees together. Then, she laughed with her mouth open, grinning as her eyes glowed with fire. "Don't tease the thought to me. To kill them would be so sweet as the nectar of the honey flower. But," she separated her hands, dropping the bloody mixture down into the forest, licking her lips clean of red, "her Majesty will get as she wishes. No, Arthur, I just want to make this game a little more ..." she watched as the spit landed against a leaf, an eyeball emerging from the Grimmsang, its irises red and glancing around, slithering away at great speed into the depths. "...fun."

…

Weiss Schnee found herself face-to-face with a Beowolf, a large wolf-like Grimm beast with sharp claws and unmatched physical strength. Its eyes glowed under its skull mask as it swiped its claws at her, but she slashed her trusty rapier against the strike, jumping back as the beast was reflected away. Just before her toes were planted to the ground, her Aura flashed blue around her feet. An intricate circular glyph was conjured below her, supporting her fall and forming a weak barrier.

It was the hereditary Semblance of the Schnee family, Glyph, which held many unique properties. A Schnee glyph harnessed the ability to enact change, to disrupt the universe in its grasp. Without the correct formation of a particular circle, of which there were many, the glyph would fail. Some could invoke energy, useful for unlocking the power of Dust. It was useful for her weapon, which was loaded with Dust into a revolver on the hilt. Other glyphs could warp space and time within their influence. But, Weiss was only partially practiced in Glyph, which for all in the Schnee family line required years of intense training and mediation to master.

The Beowolf in front of her roared, the razor sharp claws on its arms and legs growing. Suddenly, she heard the grass shift, and in moments she was surrounded by eight more of them, salivating in hunger and jerking their necks in every direction with anticipation. She kept her feet on the glyph, which made her enemies cautious, giving her time to think.

"Okay, Weiss, remember your training." she held her sword next to her hip, placing one foot in front of the other. "Right foot forward … I mean left. How come I end up being the lefty?" the Grimm approached her slowly, becoming brave as they gauged her defense. "Okay, that's too forward. Breathe...breathe...breathe.." she inhaled and exhaled, and the Beowolves charged forward, prepared to destroy her. "okay...now!"

She conjured a glyph near her back, sparks erupting from it as she slid her hand over the Dust Revolver on her rapier. A Yellow Dust crystal shattered, the energy from it absorbing into her heels, pushing her body forward at incredible speed. With her blade ready to thrust, a piece of Red Dust in the revolver partially shattered, and fire surrounding her blade.

"Gotcha!" Ruby flew in front of her path, startling Weiss.

Ruby drove the tip of her scythe into the Beowolf's skull, taking it down instantly. Yet, Weiss struggled to stop, falling to her knees and rolling on the ground. When Ruby's foot touch the grass, they crashed into one another, screaming in a panic.

"Weiss!" Ruby yelled as she rolled onto her back, Weiss pinning her with her rear on her cape.

Their foes took advantage of the mishap, the remaining Beowolves charging toward them, Weiss pushed herself up, grabbing her blade on the way, the sword vibrating with flames still encircling it. The unrealized energy from the Yellow Dust erupted in her legs, sparks of energy radically flaring as she kicked up and down at sound breaking speed. "My sword!" she shook her rapier in the air, unsure of what to do with the stored power. Without quickly, she pointed the sword at the approaching Beowolves, a ball of fire shooting out of it as she screamed. The Dust energy exploded against the leading Grimm of the pack, but the force of her attack sent a giant plume of fire into the air, and the force of it disintegrated several tree in the vicinity.

Weiss turned around, grabbing Ruby by the waist and jumping forward into the mud and landing atop of her teammate before ducking to avoid flying debris. Once their hair and clothes settled from the blast, Weiss pushed herself up, looking down at Ruby, who made a dumbfounded expression with mud smeared on her cheek.

Ruby laughed awkwardly, turning her eyes away, "I think we got 'em. We sure explode together a lot."

"You Idiot!" Weiss slapped the ground next to Ruby's head, causing her to flinch. "You attacked out of turn. Didn't you even bother to look where I was going?" she grabbed her rapier and crawled back up to her feet, patting her clothes down, Ruby doing the same.

"I was just trying to help." Ruby replied, her nostrils flared and as she pouted.

Weiss pushed her palm against her hip, "I could have killed you!"

Ruby smiled at her concern, but was distracted when she traced the Ice Queen's eyes back to the destruction, seeing that the forest was set ablaze, "Uh oh..." Ruby started a sprint towards the fire. "Poor trees! We have to put it out!"

Weiss grabbed her arm, Ruby nearly tripping as she halted. She pulled the Branwen girl back to her side, keeping her sights on the flames. "I can't believe I let you waste my Dust Crystals." she placed her rapier vertically in front her nose, closing her eyes as she summoned a large glyph in front of her. Ruby watched in awe as the Ice Queen's hair glowed with sparkles of blue and white, the revolver on the blade's hilt spinning to load Pale Dust. She pointed her blade at the center of the glyph, the endpoints of the snowflake-shaped pattern glowing. A change in the air occurred, then, a gale of icy wind traveled by them and over the extensive flames, shards of ice and sleet raining down, extinguishing the blaze within an impressive radius before the air returned to the warmth of the morning sun.

As Weiss tossed her ponytial over her shoulder, Ruby gasped with amazement, "I've never seen a Semblance like that before!" she leaned into Weiss, her nose getting uncomfortably close to hers as she pushed her head back slightly. "Gods, what's it called? Your sword is so cool, it has to have a name: what is it? Can I see it?"

Weiss tucked the sword into the belt under her sash, taking a few steps away from Ruby with her head held high, "It's called Glyph, and you're a complete moron if you haven't heard of the Schnee family Semblance. Its name is Mrytenaster, and no you can't."

"You're form is really pretty!" Ruby exclaimed, swinging her arms loosely. "Is that a Schnee family style?"

Weiss turned around with her hand over her chest. "You know, I'm surprised someone who talks so much doesn't communicate more during an encounter."

Ruby showed her mean side, "Well, I'm sorry, but I don't need your help in a fight!"

"Excuse me?" Weiss spun her head and rolled her eyes. "Are you blind?"

"Only sometimes!" Ruby replied with her arms crossed, a scowl on her face that was difficult to take seriously.

Weiss raised an eyebrow, then sighed, "Okay, look, we're wasting time. We've got to go. The other students have probably already taken the artifacts by now." she stepped aside, continuing further into the forest. "Hurry up before I get a bad grade."

"Hey, wait." Ruby followed her northward. "I can feel my sister nearby. I've got to find her!"

"You are such a weirdo."

As Ruby groaned with anxiety and frustration, the two of them advanced into the forest.

…

On the northern side of Emerald Forest, Jaune Arc was pinned high against a tree, Pyrrha's weapon holding him up by the hood of his gambeson as he looked around in silence. Then, from behind a curtain of vines, the Pride of Mistral arrived to his aid, her hands behind her back as she slowly walked to him.

"Oh, there you are!" she grinned, happy to see him in safety.

Jaune raised a single hand and saluted, "Hi...thanks for the help back there. Did you see all of that explosion just now?"

She looked up at the smoke in the sky, "Yeah, but it looks like its been taken care of. Must have been someone losing control of their Semblance."

"I see." Jaune clicked his tongue while looking at branches nearby. "So, you wouldn't mind giving me another hand here, would you? I mean, we can hang out, proverbially speaking - "

Pyrrha laughed, her hands over her lips in her usual manner of happy conversation, "Okay, Jaune. Hold on." she held her hand up and called to her blade. "Miló!" The spear shook behind his head, pulling itself from the wood and swiftly retracting back to Pyrrha's hand."

Jaune fell to the ground, landing on his tail bone and letting out a small, "Ouch!"

Once Pyrrha snatched her weapon from the air, she placed into the scabbard behind the shield on her back. She walked over to her friend, pulling him up to his feet. Immediately, they heard a beep come from their Scrolls, but they elected to ignore them for awhile.

"Thanks." he said, scratching his chin in shyness as he rubbed grass blades off of his pants.

Pyrrha shook her head, "It's nothing. I'm sorry I dropped you like that."

Jaune looked at her equipment, then asked, "So, what kind of Semblance is that?"

"Oh!" she was pleasantly surprised by the question, looking at her hands for a moment. "Well, that was Polarity. It's nothing special. I can control magnetic objects. It's pretty weak though, really. I was hoping to practice a little at Beacon." she kicked the grass under feet, a blush overcoming her cheeks. "So, Jaune, I know there's a long waiting list, but I was wondering if you still had any openings available for your team."

Jaune smirked, placing a single hand on his left hip and strutting to the side with a confident smile, "Well, you came at just the right time. Of course, its already done, but it turns out there was one opening saved just for you. Welcome aboard!"

Pyrrha laughed more, "I'd be honored!" she bowed lightly, before posturing herself and showing concern. "Jaune, I have to ask, why didn't you activate your Aura?"

Jaune stared at her blankly with an awkward smirk, "Huh?" he swayed his shoulder a bit.

"Your Aura?" Pyrrha reiterated.

"Bless you." his eyes darted around. "Need a tissue?"

Pyrrha cocked a brow, her head falling to the side a bit, "Jaune, do you not know what Aura is?"

He leaned forward with his knees bent, throwing his open palms down, "Of course I do!" he exhaled, walking away for a moment before turning back and asking, "you wouldn't know how to use it, would you?"

"Jaune," she moved toward him, standing in front of him with a prepared to explanation, "every living thing carries a Semblance, a tiny piece of the God of Light's soul. Your Aura is the manifestation of your soul."

"Oh...I see."

"Everyone has it, even animals, some more than others. With meditation and practice, its possible to strengthen your Aura. You can use it for many things, but its usually used as a shield."

Jaune became curious, "Do Grimm have Auras, too?"

Pyrrha placed a hand over his shoulder, "No. The Grimm are creatures born from the God of Darkness. They don't have souls in the normal sense. They are the manifestation of darkness, emptiness; they are anonymity."

"I used to hear about that sometimes growing up." Jaune revealed, walking over to the tree he was pinned to and resting his back on it.

Pyrrha paced around in circles and continued, "We are the Light. It's our duty as Hunters – the ones with bright Auras – to banish the darkness. It's as old as history itself."

"What about the Faunus?" Jaune asked. "They have Auras also?"

She stopped, crossing her arms under her chest, "The Faunus are a little different. They were created when the Brother Gods left Remnant. At least, that's what they say in Mistral. Not everyone agrees on the details, but we know that the Faunus have weaker Aura's than humans do. They make up for it with a stronger Semblance."

"So why do we fight them?" Jaune wanted to know more.

"The discrimination against the Faunus dates back to Old Vale. Its a matter of human cruelty, and has nothing to do with our Semblances. It's the Grimm that unite us. Its about knowing, Jaune. That is what's important." she approached him, placing a hand over the chest piece of his white armor, her Aura glowing Red. "We all have a tiny amount of darkness inside of us; without it, there wouldn't be any place for the light to go. By understanding that, we can manifest the power of our Aura, and tap into our Semblance."

Jaune began to shake as he felt a sudden change in his chest. A gentle white Aura formed around him, his hair flowing upward. Pyrrha held his hand, calming him, staring him directly in the eyes with a warm smile.

"If you can bare your soul, you can deflect harm. All of our tools that we use as Hunters and Huntresses, they are conduits for our Aura. We don't try to protect our bodies while fighting, but our souls and other's. Just close your eyes, Jaune. Let me bare my soul to you."

He did exactly as she asked, feeling his heart beat settle as he focused on her touch. Then, a light hum reverberated through his ears, and he felt as if he were floating.

Pyrrha closed her eyes, placing his hand on her chest. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee."

She let go of him, both in soul and in body, taking a single step back. Jaune opened his eyes slowly, looking at himself with serene amazement, a white halo surrounding him and his body feeling lighter than before.

"What did you do?" he asked,

Pyrrha's Aura settled, and she grinned lightly as she looked back and answered, "I gave you a piece of my Aura."

"Those words...I've heard them before." Jaune said, placing his arms to his sides.

"A traditional prayer from Mistral!" she replied.

"I feel..."

She placed her hands over his wrists, "What you have is a piece of my spirit with you, but its up to you to find out how to use. Now that you know the feeling, you'll never forget it."

…

In another part of Emerald Forest, Yang called out for her sister with her hands over her lips to amplify the sound, "Ruby! Helllloooo!" she walked within the open underbrush, trying to listen for other students. "Damn, I always heard that this place was isolated, but now I think its cursed. She should be able to hear me by now. I wonder if she senses Cinder, too." she heard a shift in the bushes next to her. "Ruby, is that you?"

From under the brush, a dark puddle of Grimmsang slid through the grass and next to her feet. It stopped, and morphed into the shape of an eyeball, a red iris looking up at her with an apparent scowl in its gaze. She tried to stomp on it, but it shot by her quickly, dashing through the grass and heading northward into the forest.

As it left her sight, she said to herself, "Its definitely her. But, what's she planning now?"

She heard a beastly growl nearby, the vines within the forest disturbed by a large presence. The sound was too recognizable for her, one that she had grown to know from home.

"Ursa..." she murmured.

Suddenly, an angry Ursa charged at her from the shadows. It swung its arms down at her with rage, but she jumped over its head just in time, her Aura shining as she was in the air, eyes turning crimson. Then, another Ursa jumped out from the brush, its arms ready for a swing. She could do little to dodge it, taking the full force of its strike, but not before summoning her Semblance, Burn. She was pushed into the ground, her head hitting first and injuring her neck on the way, her body springing back up from from the fall.

As her Burn charged, her hair radiating with Aura, she kicked one of the beasts in the jaw, pushing herself away into a spin until she was able to return to her feet and face them both.

"I've only got three bullets for my girls." she held a wrist strap on Ember Celica. "Better save it for whatever Cinder's doing."

The Ursai charged at her again, drool falling from their jaws. This time, her power was ready. As one opened its mouth wide, and attempted a killing blow with its teeth, she pulled her fists back, bellowing loudly as flames surrounded her fingers, pushing her knuckles into the Grimm's mask and smashing it into pieces. It fell before her, but the other still pushed on with the assault. Without a store of energy left in her hair, she jumped out of the way once again, landing on her side and jumping back to a stance as quickly as she could.

"C'mon, ugly, let's see what you've got!" she yelled, her knees bent into a defensive stance, and her Aura ready for more.

The beast shifted its weight backward, its skeleton toes digging into the dirt, prepared for another attempt. Then, the sound of a sharp edge driving into flesh echoed behind it. Its eyes glowed bright yellow, and Yang held her arms up as she furrowed her eyes with confusion. The Ursa fell down onto its face, and its body began to decay into Grimmsang. Soon, she saw a familiar face from the Ballroom standing behind the beast, holding a black sickle-scythe in her hands, and black bow tie wrapped around a set of cat ears. Blake's dark, scant coat blew with the wind current, and her amber eyes seemed to cut through the air like a knife though parchment, gazing at Yang with an almost judgmental look.

Yang grinned, scratching her nose as she returned a glare, her hand on her hip with her pinky finger wrapped around a belt loop on her shorts.

Two beeps erupted heard from their Scrolls. Then, a long silence overcame them.

"Eh," Yang uttered, "I could've taken them."


	13. The Red Omen

Blake and Yang traversed Emerald Forest together for a short while. They said no words to one another, following a path that eventually led them to a large grove at the bottom of a small cliff. When they spotted an ancient stone circle below, surrounded by Old Vale's ritualistic structures, they drew their eyes to a set of pedestals lined concentrically within, which appeared to have been recently built. They both stopped and examined the ancient ruins, Yang occasionally glancing at her new teammate.

"That's it." she waited for a response from Blake, but received none. "So, why'd you shave your whiskers?" she was given only more silence. She sighed, before looking at the pedestals further. She noticed that many of the artifacts appeared to be missing. "I guess we're not the first one's here."

Blake placed her heel against the cliff side, letting herself fall into a slide, slowly descending down to the temple until her feet were gracefully placed to ground. Yang grinned, then shrugged, mimicking the Faunus and sliding down to the temple as well. When they were together again, they approached the ruins, treading carefully as they entered the central circle. They each approached opposing pedestals, studying each artifact meticulously for clues to their meanings.

"They're chess pieces." Yang said, holding a pawn between her fingers and looking for any peculiar marks that would distinguish it from the rest. "Never played the game before. I wonder what they mean?"

Blake gave away her first words since the night at the Ballroom, "I don't even think Ozpin knows. They're trying to toy with us. It doesn't matter which one we take; they'll judge us on how we got them."

Yang snatched a Black Knight piece, placing it in her pocket before twisting around and facing her teammate, "Maybe you're right." she walked over to Blake, stopping just behind her, looking to the side to see what piece she had taken, but just missing it as she placed it in the pocket under her skirt. "So, which one suits your fancy, tiger?"

Blake's bow tie shifted, her ears detecting something, "We're being watched."

Yang raised a brow, placing herself on alert in an instant, looking around the open grove and listening for footsteps. Then, Yang heard the slide of a gun spring back behind her head, and the touch of a barrel against her skull. She raised her hands up, and Blake did the same. From the front of an aged pillar, the surfaced of the stone warped in space, until a figure of a young man with spiked orange hair appeared from the air, pointing a pistol-dagger at the Faunus girl's head.

"Look what we caught, Gelano." said the orange haired man, pulling the slide of his weapon and loading the chamber.

Gelano replied, pushing his semi-automatic gun-baton into Yang's neck, "A Branwen and a Faunus, in the same place, Auran. Today's our lucky day."

Yang smirked, her nostrils flared, "You creeps've been watching us this whole time?"

"Bingo." Gelano replied, "We overheard your little conversation in the locker room. You're Raven's daughter, aren't you? I bet the the enforcers would love to get ahold of you."

"What the hell did we do to you, anyway?" Yang waved her hand a bit. "What's your problem?"

Gelano smashed the handle of his weapon against Yang's crown, a spark of Aura absorbing some of the blow as she ducked forward.

"Shut up!" He shouted.

Auran joined, pushing his gun into Blake's hair, "This isn't a joke!"

Yang scratched the back of her hand, keeping her hands held high as Gelano aimed his weapon, "Well you guys look clowns, so its hard to tell."

"You think its funny?" Gelano yelled. "I lost my brother because of you! Do you have any idea how many lives were lost in Vacuo because of your stupidity?"

Yang grinned, closing her eyes, "Oh yeah, I remember. Mom talked about that battle a lot. They really thought we were just going to let them destroy Old Vale without a fight? Please, you guys deserved it."

"You're pushing it!" he angered. "Hey, Auran?"

"What is it?"

"It sure would be a shame if these two went missing out here, don't you think?"

"A tragedy."

The two of them laughed, reveling in the power they held over them.

"Very cute, boys." Yang said. "Why don't you just let my teammate go, then? She hasn't done anything to you."

Auran cleared his throat, "Getting rid of this Faunus bitch is a bonus. Its bad enough they let a Branwen into Beacon, but now, even animals could pass the test. Vale's really reached a new low."

"Gods, I'm tired of hearing your voice." Yang groaned. "Hey, Blake, what do you say we end this already?"

Yang looked to the side, entirely away from the Faunus girl. The two miscreants were baffled. When they glanced over to where Yang's eyes met the grove's edge, they found Blake Belladonna, her arms crossed with a coy grin on her face, and her sickle-gun held firmly in her left hand, a ribbon tied to its handle and wrapped around her wrist.

Blake nodded, "Definitely."

Auran's arms shook in terror, seeing the cat Faunus in two places at once: one directly in front of him with her arms held up, and the other a short distance away from the temple with a smile.

"W-w-what the HELL?!" he leaned back.

Gelano warned, "It's her Semblance! Hurry up and kill her!"

Auran acted carelessly, firing a few rounds into the Blake that was closest to him, missing the target several times from shaky hands, but managing to land one bullet in her eye. The force made her stumble, but it seemed to take little effect on her. She turned her head, her eye caved with a hollow hole and no blood. He stepped back, and she slashed her sharp claws at his face. He jumped in time to avoid a fatal strike, but was left with deep cuts through his nose and lips, his skin stinging as he nearly tripped over his own heel.

"Its her Shadow, you idiot!" Gelano screamed, aiming the sight of his gun-baton at the true Blake, firing several rounds before she dashed with her head down, avoiding the projectiles and heading for his partner. "Shoot her!"

Blake flicked her wrist, her Aura glowing with a magenta hue around her hands. She kicked Auan's feet off of ground, bringing him to a fall, then threw her sickle-gun at Gelano, her Aura charging it with force. He kicked the weapon away, his own Aura glowing red and shielding him from the sharp edge.

"You'll have to do better than that!" he shouted, aiming at Blake once again; however Yang grabbed his gun-baton, pulling it from his grasp, then threw it into the forest.

"You talk too much." Yang walked toward him, the sound of Blake's assault echoing behind her as Gelano backed up. "You're through!" her eyes changed to red, her hair glowing brightly.

Gelano grinned, holding his fists up and guarding his face, his Aura protecting him, "You don't stand a chance against me, savage. Any blow you deal, I'll make you pay for it tenfold."

Yang threw a powerful punch at him, but the strike was repelled away. Gelano's hair glowed and he laughed.

She stumbled for a moment, before flexing her legs and planting her boots firmly in the grass. "You're Semblance is the same as mine." she grinned, walking up to him once again, absolute confidence in her stride. "Go ahead," she leaned closer to him. "I'll give a you free hit. Let's see what you've got!"

"You'll regret it with your life!" he drive his bare first from his hip and up into Yang's chest, her breath leaving her as she grunted, spit splattering from her lips. Her head fell forward, and Gelano pulled his fist away, strafing to her side with a pride. "Now whose the joke?"

She crossed her arms over her waist, feeling the warmth of blood resurfacing from her bandaged wounds. She shook her arms, and her opponent laughed at her paralysis.

"You Branwen are all the same," he said, "stupid, dirty, and overconfident. Don't worry, I'll put you in the Dust where you belong, so you can rest in peace."

Yang cackled, her head still down, "I'm sick of everyone calling me Branwen..." she leaned up, wiping the spit from her face, her eyes now crimson and shining, her hair flowing upward with a stream of Aura strong enough to produce a gale. "My name is Yang Xiao Long..." she pushed herself forward, reaching for Gelano's neck, snatching him tightly with her thumb pressed against his airway. The power of her Burn was far too great for him to conquer, and he struggled helplessly to break free as she stared up at him with a look that horrified him. "I am a Dragon!"

The walls of the grove were set ablaze as her scream echoed throughout Emerald Forest. She pulled Gelano down to her, thrusting her knee deep into his chest, streams of fire erupting around him, the sound of cracking ribs harmonizing with bellows of agony. The leaves were pushed away, the shift of hot air creating bursts of air in all directions.

Her eyes returned to lilac, and her Burn settled. She put her foot back to the ground and dropped him into the grass. He tried to return to his feet, but his injuries were too great. His Aura had been completely disabled.

...

Somewhere in a dense part of Emerald Forest, Weiss and Ruby walked about in exhaustion, the Ice Queen serving as guide.

"Okay," Weiss spun around, lifting her hands up only to let them fall loosely back to her sides, "I'm it can't be too far from here."

Ruby walked with her head forward and her arms dangling, her eyes half open with a lazy a frown, "You don't know where we are do you?"

Weiss countered, "That's not true!" she stopped for a second, moving a set of vines away from her face and looking to the side. "We're...We're..." she stuttered a bit. "...Okay...we're lost." she held her head down.

Ruby slapped her cheeks, perking up and going to her teammate's side, "I thought you were the master at navigating the wilds?" she looked her directly in the eyes as the Ice Queen avoided doing the same.

"C'mon, Weiss, I could've gotten us there by now."

"Oh, I bet it all would have worked out just fine if it were in your hands, hm?" Weiss tilted her head to the side, secretly hoping that she would not answer.

Ruby yawned, "I was just trying to be nice, Weiss. I grew up in the forest, I know how to get around. Why do you have to be the leader, anyway?"

Weiss huffed, "Clearly, I'm the perfect candidate. As Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, I have experience with executive duties, such as workforce management, strategy coordination, rationing supplies, and -"

Suddenly, they heard Yang screaming from a nearby part of the forest. The air around them changed temperature, and strong wind currents began to flow through the shrubbery. They looked up when they saw sparks of fire floating into the sky through the cracks of the leaves.

"Yang!" Ruby was pleasantly startled, both finding her sister nearby and having a beacon to light their way to her. "She must be fighting Grimm. This way!" Ruby ran ahead, grabbing the Ice Queen's wrist and puling her through the forest.

"Hey!" Weiss resisted for a moment. "How do we know this isn't a trap or something? I mean, what if she leads us away from the temple?"

Then, she felt the pull on her wrist cease, Ruby stopping in front of her, looking down at something in front of them. She peeked over the her energetic teammate's shoulder, spotting a raven staring up at them with its mouth open. "Why'd you stop?" Weiss gently pulled her hand away from Ruby's grip. "It's just a bird. Thing is probably diseased anyway."

"What's wrong, friend?" Ruby furrowed her brows, looking into the eyes of the raven. She felt a mysterious warning in its gaze that she had to decipher.

"Great!" Weiss closed her eyes, and sighed. "We … are talking to birds now! Has Vale gone insane?"

The raven began to caw and click, its throat expanding and contracting, flapping its wings in stress.

Ruby opened her lids widely, "Oh no, she's here!"

Weiss walked to her side, peeking at her face and asking, "Who's here? What weird nonsense are you going on about this time?"

"Weiss!" Ruby jerked her head to the side and looked at her teammate with worry. "We have to get to the temple, fast! Everyone's in danger!"

Before Weiss could question her, a puddle of Grimmsang slithered toward them from within the brush. Weiss screamed, stepping behind Ruby and looking over her to see. Suddenly, it jumped up onto the raven, wrapping itself around the body, an eyeball protruding from the puddle and staring at the two of the them.

"NO!" Ruby dropped herself down, heading for the raven's aid, but Weiss pulled her back.

"Don't touch it!" she pulled her to her side, keeping sight of the raven as it fruitlessly struggled to break free. "There's nothing we can do now." she brought her attention to Ruby, who stared at the horrible sight in shock. "What is going on here? Who is coming? Where did that thing come from?"

The raven was soon fully consumed, and its form began to grow in size. The bird's flesh warped, its head growing larger. The mask of a Grimm beast conjured over its face as its beak grew longer and its eye sockets sank in.

"Its Cinder." said Ruby.

As the beast let out a terrifying screech behind them, feathers spread through the forest.

"Who?!" Weiss replied, looking back at the raven, recognizing its new form. "It's turning into a Nevermore! That...thing...it turned it into a Grimm?"

She waited for an explanation, yet Ruby seemed petrified. So, she grabbed her hand and pulled her deeper into the forest, escaping before the creature could threaten them, heading in the direction of Yang's battle cry. "Let's go! It's not our job to fight Grimm for Initiation. Fingers crossed: they better be at the temple!"

Ruby ran along, speaking through deep breaths, "Weiss, I don't know why my aunty is here, but, if she finds the other students, people will get hurt. They can't beat her in a fight."

Weiss ran faster as they heard a grand caw in the sky, "I'll find out what the heck you're talking about when we get out here! Just move it, will you?!"

…

Blake and Yang stood before the two miscreants, Gelano and Auran, who lay side-by-side against the stone floor of the temple ruins, one covered in cuts from the Faunus' claw strikes and the other coughing blood from his lungs due to broken bones.

"That takes care of these buffoons." Blake commented, her tail moving from under her skirt as she crossed her arms, looking down at them with her sickle-gun in her hand.

"Piece of cake." Yang boasted, crouching down over the louder blue haired Gelano. "Don't be such a wuss. You'll live!" She tapped her finger against his head. "So, you gonna tell me who sent you punks? If you do, I might be nice and call for help. Its a looooong walk back, and you look a little tired. Just saying."

Somewhere in the forest, they heard the sound of rapid fire from an automatic weapon, and the shrill screams of a woman. The growl of an Ursa echoed into the ruins, until the body of the Grimm shot over their heads, sparks of electricity surrounding it as its body disintegrated into Grimmsang.

"Whohoo!" Nora Valkyrie appeared behind the trees, holding her skirt down as she fell into the grove from high up. She held a giant warhammer in her other hand, hiding behind it as she swiftly approached a tree branch at the edge of the grove. "EHHNAH!" she grabbed the branch with her hammer, spinning around it for sometime before slipping upside down, hooking her legs around the tree and dropping her weapon. As she dangled upside down with loose arms, Blake and Yang stared at her with various expressions of confusion.

Then, Lie Ren walked into the grove at a slow place, his two green knife-guns in both hands with his head sloped forward.

"Sorry." he said lethargically with a bow, courteously stepping over Gelano and Auran's bodies and making his way over to Nora. On his trek, he snatched two chess pieces from the ruins without even looking, carrying them over to his girlfriend, her hands open and waving.

"Oh, what'ya got for me?" Nora snorted. "A necklace?"

Ren stood under her, looking up at as she moved to and fro like a twig, "I think these are the artifacts they wanted us to find." He gave her a pawn piece, placing one his his pocket for himself. "Nora?"

"What is it, Sweety Buns?" she asked, placing the chess piece in her mouth and biting down on it to hold.

"I don't think sloths make those kinds of noises."

There was silence for a moment, before she pressed her fingertip against his nose and replied, "Boop!"

After observing the couple's strange behavior, Blake and Yang looked at each other and shrugged.

"Hey," Yang yelled to them as Ren pulled Nora down from the branch, "Who are you guys?"

Nora rolled in the grass and jumped up to her feet, picking up her warhammer on the way, then running over to Yang, Ren slowly following behind. "Hi!" she placed her hand over her chest. "I'm Nora Valkyrie, and this is my boyfriend!" she held her arms out for Ren, hoping for him to make a dramatic entrance, but instead flipping his hair to the side.

He placed his weapons in the holsters on his belt, and replied, "I am Lie Ren. Its always a pleasure meeting new people." he glanced down at the two miscreants on the ground. "These two gave you trouble?"

Blake pressed a switch on her weapon, Gambol Shroud, compacting it into a rectangular shape and storing it under the band on the back of her skirt, "Just some fools, trying to stir trouble."

Ren chuckled, "They don't like the Faunus, I'm guessing? Thought so: I overheard them talking before the launch. I'm not sure they really are students."

Yang added, "I guess that happens a lot around here."

Below them, Gelano laughed, his voice struggling to leave him, "You are all a bunch of idiots. You think any of this is an accident?"

The four of them turned and faced him.

"What's up his butt?" Nora asked.

Yang followed, "Don't know, don't care. My offer still stands." she wagged her finger. "Might be some fees involved though if you keep talking like that."

Gelano coughed, barely opening his eyes as he leaned his head up and stared at Yang, "You stupid bitch! Did you … really think ..." he coughed again. "... that Junior was just going to let you get away with what you did?"

"Junior?" Blake muttered, raising a brow.

"I think he means Junior's Bar." Ren commented.

Nora grinned and held her arms up, "Didn't that place get 'xploded last night?"

"Wait..." Blake began to put the pieces together in her mind, "was that you?" she looked to Yang. "The enforcers have a warrant out for that you. That was you?"

Gelano laughed through his teeth, "Roman sends his regards."

"You know about the guy?" Yang asked.

He leaned his head back struggling to breathe, "You Vale trash are all the same. You really think this is the worst of it? The Dust trade is ramping up, and you think that her being here is just an accident? As we speak, everything is falling into place. You might be able to protect her for a little while, Yang, but in the end, it will be futile. Vale was already doomed the moment you set foot here."

Blake stepped beside her teammate, "Who is he talking about?"

"Go ahead and tell them the truth." Gelano leaned up and looked at the Branwen girl through squinting eyes. "They might know who you are, but I guarantee that she's hiding something much greater! She's coming, and she knows it. She's fooling all of you, and you don't even see it!"

Yang clenched her fists. "Choose your next words carefully, punk. They might be your last."

Ren and Nora looked at each other, the red haired girl responding, "What on Remnant is he talking about?"

Blake looked at Yang, her eyes focused on Gelano. "You're hiding something from us?"

"The Witch of the East is coming," Gelano said, his shoulders falling back into the grass, "and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

Nora responded, "Wait, that's just a fairy tail isn't it?"

"Fools. All of you."

They were interrupted by the sound a loud caw in the sky, and Weiss Schnee screaming frantically above them. They looked up, finding a giant Nevermore - a raven Grimm with incredible wings and deadly talons – flying over them, Weiss desperately holding on to its feathers, kicking her feet.

"HEEEEEELLP!" she yelled. "GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!"

Rose petals followed the Nevermore, diverting down into the ruins and landing next to Yang, Ruby appearing from inside of the flower storm with a worried look on her face, "Yang! We gotta help her!" Yang looked down at her sister's hands, seeing Weiss' sword in her palms. "It was Cinder, I know it!"

Yang distracted herself from the two miscreants entirely, shaking her head, "I knew I felt her Aura." she turned and faced her fellow would-be Hunters and Huntresses, pointing toward the ruins and shouting. "Everyone, let's go and save her!"

Blake protested, "Who cares about the Schnee girl." she sneered. "Its her fault for getting captured."

"Hey!" Nora said. "That's not very nice!"

Ren agreed, "We should save as many people as we can. Its our job as Hunters to protect people."

Blake rolled her eyes, "Fine, but if this takes too long, I'm leaving you behind."

Ruby summoned another storm of petals, floating into the air and flying over the trees toward the northern side of the forest, making chase for her friend, "I'm coming Weiss!"

As her sister left the area, Yang dashed for the ruins, quickly snatching two more chess pieces with Jaune and Pyrrha on her mind. She placed them in the pocket of her leather hip trim along with her meager ammunition.

"Let's hurry! We don't have all day!" She charged into the forest, her ankles surrounded with Aura to power her sprint.

The other's joined her quickly, disappearing into the brush, their weapons ready.

Soon, the two miscreants were all that remained at the temple, Auran unconscious from his injuries, and Gelano staring into the sky. Even with broken bones, he managed to push himself up to a sit, closing his eyes until he caught his breath. When he opened them again, he was greeted with a of pair, a red skirt with flowery patterns lining it, and the scabbard of a sword aimed toward the ground. He looked up and saw a woman wearing a carved Grimm mask, four holes for the eyes with crimson pupils peering down at him, red marks across its sharp edges. The woman's hair was long enough to reach the back of her knees, feather-like tufts of hair blowing against the light wind behind her.

"It's you." Gelano said. "I had a feeling that you'd come. Come to silence me? Just end it. I hate waiting."

The strange woman grabbed the handle of her great sword, unsheathing it, presenting its red blade to him. As she held it before his neck, he observed its thin, yet solid structure, and he recognized it immediately.

"The Omen." he said, peering back at the woman. "I never thought I'd see it for myself."

In a single slice, she detached his vocal cords, and he fell back to the ground, his last moments of life leaving him. Then, she stabbed his companion in the chest, and through the heart.

With blood flowing through the Dust, she walked away from them, leaving the grove, giving the aged ruins back to the dead.


	14. Fall Maiden

Jaune and Pyrrha wandered about Emerald Forest for longer than they had realized, emerging from the northeast side of Beacon Cliff, where a cave in the cliff's side waited for them. Surrounding it were stone ruins, structures which had long lost their identity, ill maintained and difficult to ascertain their original form. However, on the walls at the entrance of the cave were ancient paintings from Old Vale, their condition was impressive. Even from a distance they could discern the pictures.

Jaune walked up to the paintings with Pyrrha by his side, taking note of the imagery of Grimm beasts walking among humans, "Wow, you read about it in textbooks, but seeing it in person..."

Pyrrha took a closer look, "Yeah, this is pretty amazing! But, Jaune, I don't think this is the temple."

"Pyrrha, look..." Jaune pointed at the paintings, fascinated by the expertly crafted details, feeling the grooves with his fingers.

Pyrrha distracted herself, lost in the pictures, "Wow. Vale is a fascinating place. Whose this?" she rubbed the surface of a carving depicting a human, scaled like a giant among the others who knelt before him. He head was dressed with the horns of an elk, feathers like a bird on his back, and legs like a horse. "Wow, this must be one of the Gods!"

"Think so?" Jaune directed his attention to the figure of another giant, its eyes sharp and terrifying, wings like a bat, a snout like no animal he had seen, and the claws of a Grimm beast. "Then, this must be his brother, the God of Darkness."

Pyrrha explored further, a smile on her face, in awe of Vale's glorious history, "I think you're right! It's so beautiful; Vale really is the center of Remnant." she placed a hand Jaune's shoulder. "I'm thrilled you found this. When I came to Vale I wanted to be a better Huntress, but I never thought I'd see this side of the country before."

"Yeah," his head fell forward, "but – like you said - this isn't the temple we're looking for. At least, I don't think it is."

Pyrrha glanced into the entrance of the cave, noticing scones with old torches lined against the walls, seemingly untouched for centuries, "Maybe we should snoop around a little more." she giggled. "It's just us after all. What's the harm?"

Jaune was surprised, "Really? But, um, what if we get a bad grade. And, what if there's something dangerous in there, like, I don't know, spiders or something?"

Pyrrha shook her head, "I didn't come to Beacon to improve my grades." she stepped in front of him, her hands crossed behind her. "Back in Mistral, I maintained perfect scores. Huntsmen and Huntresses all knew my name. To be clear, I wasn't sure why I came to Beacon, until I met you, Jaune." she held out her hand, Jaune hesitating through shyness before he grabbed on. "We're already teammates now. I don't care about the grade. I just..." she looked to the side, frowning for a moment, soon bringing her eyes back to his. "What do you say we go inside together?" she chuckled. "I'll keep the spiders away, I promise."

Jaune felt his anxiousness fading, her presence and energy comforting him, "Yeah." he nodded. "Alright, but, I'll take the lead! The name is 'Team Jaune,' after all."

Pyrrha laughed as he walked by her, pulling her towards a scone on the wall, grabbing hold of a dry torch, its condition appearing usable. He placed his finger over his brow, thinking of a way to light it.

"Okay, so how do we light this thing?" he asked.

Pyrrha took the torch from him. "I have Burn Dust here," she reached under her red sash, opening a pouch under her belt, removing a vial of liquid Red Dust, twisting the lid off and holding it up against the torch, "this might work." she summoned the power of her Aura around her wrist, holding the vial to the cloth, a spark igniting into a gentle flame "That should do it."

Jaune carefully held the it over the fire, the ancient fabric slowly lighting even through the dampness plaguing it. Then, another spark appeared, the Dust the vial breaking in her hand, combusting in their faces.

"Oh My!" "Ah!'

They closed their eyes, feeling their burned lashes fall off. When they opened them again, they pursed their lips, finding a well lit torch in Jaune's hand. Their cheeks and lips were covered with a small sheet of soot.

"Pyrrha." Jaune said.

She blinked, "Yes, Jaune?"

"I think you have something on your face."

She laughed, wiping herself clean with her gloves, then doing the same for her teammate, "You're so funny, Jaune. " she brushed the soot off of both of their clothes and armor, taking a step back afterward. "Well, captain, what do you say we explore?"

Jaune wiped the rest of the soot from his chin, holding the torch above his head, then walking into the cave, "Alright. Seriously though, I hope we don't get a bad grade for this."

Pyrrha followed him into the darkness, "I'll say it was my idea. Let's just be a short while, I don't think the fuel on that torch will last."

They kept close together, using the dim light to examine the walls. They found extensive carvings, some too difficult to see in the darkness, but others with clear depictions of Vale's history.

"Gods, isn't it incredible?" Pyrrha's mood shot upward, acting almost out of character for those who knew her as the Pride of Mistral. "Do you think that the school knows about this place?" she spun around, her eyes glittering against the reflection of the bright colors in the paintings. "Maybe we're the first to discover it?" she blushed, changing her stride from careless to aware. "I got a little ahead of myself there...I'm sorry."

Jaune stopped in front of a painting that caught his eye, holding the torch close to it, "Don't be. This is all new to me, too. You hear about it in stories, but this … its so different seeing in person. Hey, check this out." he lured her to the painting, spotting a depiction of four peculiar figures, holding their hands up in a circle, surrounded by Grimm. "I wonder what this one is?"

Pyrrha recognized the symbols above their heads, "Those are the seasons." she pointed at them, explaining their origin to her teammate. "That's Spring, and that's Summer... and there's Fall and Winter. Those must be the Four Maidens."

"The Four Maidens?" Jaune replied. "Aren't they just a Fairy Tale?"

"Yes, well...they are aren't they?"

They looked at each other in confusion, hoping that the other would offer some sort of explanation.

Pyrrha brought her eyes closer to the painting, "I don't understand."

Jaune interrupted, "It's been so long since I heard the story, but if I remember it right, they had special powers, something to do with the seasons."

Pyrrha explained, "It's the story off the Four Maidens of the Four Seasons: I still remember it. The story goes like this..."

"Long before the Shattered Moon had its cycles, there was an old wizard atop the mountain, the first to ever perform magical feats. He was widowed, and lonely, and never left his home. But, Four Maidens, whose kindness and virtue were immeasurable, came to visit him one day. They agreed to help the old wizard, to make him happy again. The First Maiden built a fountain on his land, where the waters would always be pure and never run dry, and he would never go thirsty. The wizard gave his thanks, but would not leave his home. The Second Maiden planted him a garden, filled with vegetables and every flower known to man, so that his home would always be beautiful. The wizard thanked her too, but still wouldn't leave his home. The Third Maiden prepared a gorgeous feast, a table with food so plentiful that he would be fed throughout the year. Again, the wizard thanked her, but he would not leave his home. The Fourth Maiden weaved him fabrics, and sewed many garments and clothes so comfortable and beautiful that he would never be cold and poor on his lonesome mountain. This time, the wizard thanked all of them, and left his home, withered and gray and tired. Under his rugged beard was a big smile. He had never seen such kindness in all of his time with humanity. So, the wizard cast a final spell, and gifted the Four Maidens with his power, each getting an equal portion of his magic. On that day, the wizard passed away on the mountain, and his spirit went up to the sky. The Four Maidens went on to use their powers to do good deeds to help mankind. The spirit of the old wizard watched over them as the Four Seasons, in honor of the virtuous maidens that showed him kindness in his final days."

Jaune stepped away from the mural, looking at Pyrrha and replying, "That sounds a bit different than the version I was told. I'm not sure, it was so long ago. My sisters used to tell it to me as a bed time story."

Pyrrha took the torch from him, examining the paintings once again, "I still don't understand. If these are the Four Maidens, then why are they on the Grimm's side?" she pointed at the wall, Jaune paying close attention. "Right here is humanity, but over here is the Grimm, but aren't helping the humans."

Suddenly, the torchlight began to dither, the cloth reaching its last stretch of fuel. In moments, they were enveloped in darkness, only the faint glow of each other's eyes against the light outside making it possible for them to see.

Jaune laughed, "Well, I guess you were right about that torch, huh?"

They heard a deep hissing from within the cave. The ground beneath them shook, the sound of scraping rocks echoing throughout, and a beat akin to footsteps, only much louder and with more than just two legs.

"We...should probably get out of here." Pyrrha said, walking toward the exit.

"Yeah." Jaune replied nervously, then followed. However, he was distracted by a faint yellow glow of light behind him, turning to find a shining crescent in the cave. "Wait, look at that! Its made of gold and its so, shiny."

Pyrrha stopped and turned around, "Jaune."

He was entranced by the glow, his feet taking steps toward it with his arms reaching, "It's so, beautiful. Maybe this is the artifact Ozpin was talking about." without realizing it, he became hexed by the light.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha's tone elevated. "I don't think that's an artifact."

"But, its just so..." he was close enough to touch it, placing his hands firmly at the sides, pulling it toward him with a grin. "We should take it with us."

"Jaune, look out!" Pyrrha warned.

The light of the artifact glowed brighter, revealing the face of a giant scorpion Grimm beast – a Death Stalker - staring at him with the intent to devour. Its body was covered with bone armor at nearly all corners, and the object that Jaune held in his hands was its golden stinger, used to attract animals and foolish treasure hunters with hypnosis. It hissed, and Jaune panicked, the beast lifting him from the ground as it pulled back its stinger, and he held on. He let out a high-pitched, effeminate scream. Pyrrha ran out of the cave, the beast giving chase, breaking the walls and destroying many paintings.

"It's not an artifact!" Jaune whined and yelled, still holding onto the beast's stinger. "Its not an artifact at all, its something else, Pyrrha, help!"

Pyrrah managed to escape the cave, the Death Stalker collapsing the entrance on the way out. She turned, looked at the Jaune hanging for his life, and she grabbed the shield from her back.

"Jaune, I'll save you, hold on!" she pressed the switch behind Akoúo̱, releasing the locks, her Aura forcing the blades hidden within to extend around the edges, turning it into a slicing disc.

She threw it with all of her might at the Death Stalker's tail, hoping to sever it from its body and free Jaune; but, the beast through its pincers upward, its bone armor reflecting it back to her. She snatched her shield in the air, and held it to her side, shocked that her plan had failed.

The beast hissed, and stared directly at her, and she chuckled lightly, "You are a big one, aren't you..."

"Pyrrha!" Jaune screamed.

She ran into the forest, heading northward, "Hold on, Jaune!" the Death Stalker followed her, and she used the trees to keep ahead of it. "I think the others are still in the forest! We need their help!"

…

Ruby Rose flew through the air in a gale of flowers, vines with sharp thorns growing around the branches as she passed by the trees, Myrtenaster held firmly in her hand as she kept her sights on the Nevermore flying away from her. Weiss still held onto its feathers, uncertain whether her Aura would protect her from a fall of such great height.

"RUBY! GET ME DOWN, NOW!" Weiss screamed, hurting her lungs.

"I'm coming, Weiss!" Ruby replied.

Suddenly, she found herself crossing over a stone passageway, surrounded with megalithic structures, some that reached heights beyond the trees. The forest ended, replaced with mounds of Dust and mud, eroded ruins buried underneath.

"Ah!" Ruby screamed when she looked down and found an empty canyon below her.

She stopped in mid air, levitating with a cyclone of petals around her knees, landing onto a long bridge over the canyon. When her feet touched stone, she looked up, watching the Nevermore fly around an ancient tower, built upon a greater temple nestled between the edge of Beacon Cliff and the canyon. There were bridges leading to all sides, stretching further than Emerald Forest, as far as the Vytal Woods beyond Central Vale. The entire area was shrouded with a dense mist from the river below the canyon, making it difficult to see.

"Weiss..." Ruby looked up at the Nevermore, flapping its wings with great force, taunting her as it twisted around the tower..

As the beast soared aimlessly in the air over the misty and dark temple, she held Myrtenaster tightly in her hands, conjuring her Semblance, flying up into the sky under a bed of roses to rescue her friend.

As she went into action, the other students - Yang, Blake, Ren, and Nora - ran through the ancient passageway, arriving at the edge of the canyon at the base of the long, stone bridge leading the temple. Yang looked above, finding her sister circling around the Nevermore, the beast throwing razor sharp quills from its wings, Weiss still holding on for her life.

"Ruby!" Yang screamed.

Blake watched with a raised brow, "I really shouldn't hang out with humans. You guys seem to get in the worst kinds of messes."

Ren removed his pistols from his belt, flexing his wrist until a pair of blades protruded below the handles, "He may be large, but if we work as a team, I think we can take him."

Nora giggled, jumping up an down, "That's my, Ren! Sexy and confident!"

Ren sighed, "Thanks, Nora!"

They heard a high pitched scream behind them, each of them turning around to find Pyrrha fleeing from a giant Death Stalker in their direction, Jaune Arc hanging from its golden stinger. The two of them approached quickly, and the other students had little time to consider options.

"Hey!" Pyrrha yelled through deep breaths. "We need your help!"

Yang dismayed, "Does everything go wrong in this forest?"

Pyrrha continued, the Death Stalker closely behind her, "Guys, we have to save Jaune!"

The Pride of Mistral jumped to the side as the Death Stalker lunged forward with its pincers snapping, and the other students dodged in different directions as they barely managed to avoid the attack, its sharp legs scraping against the ground as it reached the canyon's edge. Its stinger hung out in the open for some time, Jaune looking down with a tightness in his throat.

"Okay, I'm not afraid of heights, but...NOW I'M AFRAID OF HEIGHTS!"

Ren rolled into a stand, aiming his automatic-pistols, Storm Flower, firing rounds at the Grimm's body, each bullet turning into shrapnel and having little effect. "Nora!"

He ceased fire, his red-haired girlfriend jumping to his side and asking, "What's up, Ren?"

The Death Stalker charged at Yang, who blocked its pincer strike with Ember Celica, absorbing energy into her Aura, "Are you short on Dust for Magnhild?"

Nora looked down at the Dust-grenade launcher she held at her hip, the open revolving chamber filled with Pink Dusk – a mixture of White and Red. She had not used a single round since she arrived in Emerald Forest, conserving it wisely for the perfect situation.

"She's full!" Nora nodded.

"Think you can get through that thing's armor with a Heaven's Strike?" he asked.

She smiled, a giggle turning into a chuckle, then into snorting under a wide grin, "I've been waiting to do that!" she closed her eyes, her Aura flowing around her, bolts of electricity erupting from her arms.

In an instant, her weapon transformed into a war hammer, the revolving Dust chamber nestled between the head, the barrel of the former launcher transformed into a propulsion chamber behind it. She flipped it upside down, hoped on top of it, holding the handle behind her with her legs spread to either end.

"Here comes Rocket Nora! WOOOO!" she pressed a switch on the handle, using a vial of Dust stored in the revolver to produce a constant stream of wind and fire, propelling her into the air, spinning around at dizzying speed. "Hope you brought a helmet!" she shifted her body on the surface to control her angle, stopping her ascent the moment she was above the Death Stalker. She looked down, and winked, blowing a kiss with her her hammer ready to strike in the other hand. "Say Bye Bye!"

She pulled the hammer over her head, releasing a single burst of Pink Dust, forcing her weight downward, her arms surrounded with bolts of electricity. This was the power of her Semblance, High Voltage; the ability to harness electrical potential from the atmosphere into her body, transforming the energy into force, giving her strength and stamina an extensive boost. When she was seconds away from landing on the Death Stalker, she swung her hammer down with all of her might, striking the beast's head with an impressive impact, the ground quaking and the ruins shaking from the impact. It hissed and cried, throwing its stinger down, Jaune falling off and rolling away. Nora jumped away from the Grimm, running back to Ren and watching the result of her work.

"I got him, I got him!" she celebrated.

Yang warned from the other side of the ruins, "I don't think he's down yet!"

The Death Stalker screeched, shaking its body as it recovered from the attack. Its armor was still in good condition, ready for battle and seemingly unharmed.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha ran to his aid, pulling him up to his feet as he breathed heavily.

"Thanks" he greeted her, meeting eyes for a moment.

Blake climbed a nearby tree, perching atop a protruding branch, spinning Gambol Shroud over her head from its black ribbon attached to the handle, throwing it at the beast's pincers. The sickle wrapped around its arm, and she pulled it toward her with all her might, the blade cutting into a weak joint on its wrist. She damaged its flesh enough to let blood, but the Death Stalker pulled against her in turn, sending Blake to the ground in a struggle to maintain control. When she could no longer hold her grip, she conjured her Aura in her hand, sending a wave of power through the ribbon that forced Gambol Shroud free, the weapon returning to her before being damaged.

"What is with this thing?" Blake said with frustration. "Is it invincible?"

"How do we stop it?" Ren addressed the team.

"I don't know," Yang replied, glancing at the Nevermore flying over the misty canyon, seeing her sister struggle to rescue Weiss, "but we don't have to. Let's just save my sister, and get out of here!" she dashed for the bridge leading to ancient temple, her feet surrounded with flames, fleeing from the fight.

"She ditched us!" Nora complained.

"She's right." Ren replied. "We don't have any hope of stopping this thing with our equipment. Let's just get to the bridge before its too late!"

Ren and Nora ran together, dodging a slash from the Death Stalker's pincer, making it to the bridge and running across.

Jaune calmed his nerves, and Pyrrha grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the bridge, "Jaune, let's hurry!"

Blake followed behind them, until the Death Stalker crawled in front of the bridge, stopping in front of Pyrrha and Jaune, blocking their path. They backed away, the Death Stalker planting its feet firmly in the Dust, as if it were aware of their escape plan.

"No!" Jaune panicked. "What are we going to do now?"

Blake flicked her wrists, transforming Gambol Shroud into a semi-automatic pistol with a blade extending from the slide and to the back of the hammer. She fired rounds at the beast's eyes, hoping to land at least one bullet into its eyeball. Yet, it closed its lids shut under its armor, completely shielding itself.

"Damn!" Blake growled with irritation, swinging her gun down and ceasing fire.

Pyrrha charged at the beast, holding her sword in hand with her trusty shield in the other, "Let's see you stop this."

"Pyrrha, No!" Jaune reached forward, unable to stop her.

She held her hand forward, summoning her Polarity, a dark Aura forming around her blade as it transformed into a spear. She threw it over her shoulder in full sprint, using her Semblance to increase the speed of her weapon in air, guiding it toward the golden stinger above the beast's head. But, it shifted its body to the side just before impact, the spear soaring over its back. She was surprised for a moment, but reacted quickly to not lose her weapon, reversing her Polarity and bringing Miló back to her hand, snatching it in the air.

She gave no reprieve, twisting around its pincers and toward its mouth, Polarizing the blade of her spear and thrusting it into the creatures fleshy mouth. Yet, the beast bit down against it, stealing stealing her weapon. It dropped the spear and stepped forward, hiding it under its head.

"Pyrrha, LOOK OUT!" Jaune screamed.

She glanced up, its stinger quickly approaching her for a killing blow. She instinctively held Akoúo̱ in front of her shoulders, narrowly avoiding death as the stinger scraped against the surface, pushing her into the air. She landed on her shoulder in the mud, sliding and stopping before Jaune's feet.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune began to cry, losing control of himself as her knelt down and wrapped his arms around her. "Pyrrha!"

She seemed unconscious for a moment, but she slowly opened her eyes, smiling when she saw Jaune's face, "Jaune...guess I wasn't the best teammate for your leadership, huh?"

"No, Pyrrha," his warm tears fell on her cheek. "You did great! I should've been...I should be..."

She watched his face turn from scared to something that she could not recognize, "Jaune, it's okay. We'll get through this."

"Are you guys okay over there!" they heard Nora yell from the bridge behind the Death Stalker.

Blake stayed a safe distance away and answered, "This isn't an ordinary Grimm. We have to come up with a plan!"

Jaune's head fell forward, hanging loosely under his hair, his tears fading away. In his mind he heard screaming, breaking ceramics, and the crumbling walls. He could hear several little girls crying, and the vague sound of a man bellowing out with rage, his voice bleeding like a fuzzy dream.

Pyrrha lifted herself to her knees, crouching in front of Jaune and shaking his shoulders with worry, "Jaune, what's gotten into you?"

Her voice snapped him back into reality, but he was not the same as before. He stared at his open palms and leather gloves, his hands shaking; he clenched his fists, easing the tension her felt. Then, he glanced up and over Pyrrha's shoulder, staring with a scowl at the Death Stalker's golden stinger, taking grip of his sword, Crocea Mors, and standing up.

"Blake!" his tone changed entirely, his shy nature replaced with valiance.

Blake wasn't sure who spoke at first, turning her head and blinking with surprise, finding Jaune glaring at her, "Um, Jaune?"

"You still have strength left?" he seemed to demand an answer.

She blinked a few more times, her brows raised in confusion, "Uh, yeah...enough."

He returned his glance to the Death Stalker. "Nora, Ren, distract him!" Jaune unsheathed his sword, gripping the handle with confidence.

"Done!" Ren replied from the bridge, the sound of bullets firing against the Death Stalker's armor following.

The beast's attention was thwarted for moment, and Jaune continued giving orders, "Blake, grab its tail and hold it, and don't let it move!"

Blake smirked, "Why should I listen to you?"

"Do it!" he screamed.

"Fine!" she drew the ribbon of Gambol Shroud through her palms, transforming it back into sickle form and swinging it over her head. Her claws retracted, and she threw her weapon into the air, the force of her Aura pushed it a great distance, until it twisted around the beast's tail. She pulled on it as tightly as she could, holding its stinger in place over it's head. "Okay, genius, what now?"

Pyrrha grew concerned with his demeanor, placing her hand on his cheek and pulling his eyes toward her, "Jaune, what's wrong?"

His expression remained firm, and he quickly gave more orders, "Pyrrha, use the razor on your shield. Can you throw that thing at the Stinger and land on target?"

She looked back at the beast, her shield still firmly in her grip. She thought quicklly as she saw the stinger resting in place, Ren's bullets still firing and shattering against its armor, "I think I can do it."

"Then, hurry," he urged. "before it breaks free."

"Right!" she nodded, imbuing Akoúo̱ with her Aura, transforming it into a bladed disk. Immediately, she threw it into a spin, guiding it on the way with Polarity. The beast tried to pull away from Gambol Shroud's vice, but Blake would not let up, holding the stinger firmly in place. Then, the shield contacted the Death Stalker's flesh, slicing through a weak joint between the tail's armor. In an instant, its stinger was sliced clean off, the sharp end of it falling into the crack between its neck and body. Its tail bled profusely, and it was pinned to the ground by its own weapon. The gunfire from the bridge ceased, and Blake flicked her wrist, returning her weapon to her side.

"You did it!" Nora shouted.

Pyrrha Polarized her shield, the blades around it sliding back in as she grabbed it in the air, "Jaune, you really did it!" she held her other hand up, Polarizing her spear, returning it to her grip. "That was amazing!" she turned around, her cheeks lifted high with a smile.

But, Jaune was not through, staring at the Death Stalker as it squirmed for its life. "Not Yet!"

He dodged around Pyrrha, charging with Crocea Mors tightly held in both hands. He screamed with bitter rage, his feet digging deep into the mud as he moved with intent.

"Jaune!"

The Death Stalker tried to lift its head up from the ground, its bloody tail waving back and forth violently. Jaune avoided its pincers, thrusting his sword forward and into the beast's eye. It nearly closed its lids, but the blade slid in just in time, dragging against the bone as it pierced through its socket and punctured deep into its skull. As the blade slowly stopped, Jaune ceased his screaming, the beast hissing in agony for some time before it fell down with its legs completely limp, and its eyes turning black. Its body began to melt into the Dust, and Jaune pulled his sword from its bony carcass, watching its face turn into Grimmsang before him. His heartbeat slowed as his sword fell to his hip.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha ran toward him, hugging him tightly around his back. "Calm down, please!"

As the Death Stalker's body melted away, they saw Ren and Nora waving behind, standing on the bridge with cheer on their faces.

"Now that was impressive!" Ren said, pumping his fist.

Nora jumped, "Yeah, you guys really pummeled that thing!"

Blake walked up behind them, her hand on her hips with her tail swishing around behind her head. "I guess blondie is good for something after all."

Jaune loosened his nerves, turning around as Pyrrha let go of him, a piece of his old self showing. "Thanks...Pyrrha. I'm glad you're okay." he continued taking deep breaths. "But it's not over yet." he looked back and up into the sky over the canyon temple, where the Nevermore still glided over the tower, Ruby giving chase, and Yang standing on top of the temple afar with fire blazing around her. "We have to help them."

Pyrrha nodded, "You're right!" a tear fell from her eye, but she wiped it clean before anyone could see. "You're the leader, so lead the way!" she chuckled.

They wasted no time, running along the bridge and toward the temple, a deadly fall awaiting them if any structure part of the structure failed.

Blake stood and watched them for a moment, before smiling. "You humans really are entertaining sometimes."

She jumped over the cliff, throwing her weapon up and tossing it over a distant bridge near the top of the tower, swinging over the canyon without fear, ready for the assault against the Nevermore.

…

At the closest side of Beacon Cliff to the academy, Ozpin and Glynda stood near the edge, watching over Emerald Forest. A crowd of students waited behind him, nearly all of them holding a chess piece in their hands. Over the horizon, in the distant clouds at the northeastern edge of the cliff, they all watched as the giant Nevermore soared the skies, its caw heard even at their position.

"This isn't good, Headmaster." Glynda glanced at Ozpin, who kept his eyes on his Scroll, an image of red dots indicating the location of the remaining students, chess pieces highlighted in white on the screen. "This is the first time in Beacon's history that a Nevermore has interrupted Initiation. Sir, perhaps we should bend the rules a bit, just this once."

"Now, hold on, Headmistress." he wagged his finger. "There will be no need for that."

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't think those students can handle a Nevermore that size." she replied. "They could die."

Ozpin placed his Scroll in his pocket, crossing his hands over his cane, staring out into the open.

"Headmistress," he said, "Do you believe in fate?"

"Fate, sir?" she asked.

"Yes, fate."

"I'm not sure how to answer, sir."

Ozpin grinned, adjusting his glasses, "It's no concern. I'm not so sure myself. But, I do believe that certain things happen for a reason, for better or for worse, don't you?"

Glynda took a moment to absorb his words, She was accustomed to his cryptic way of passing down knowledge, yet she had never heard him ask such a thing until that moment.

Then, Ozpin's Scroll rang, interrupting her thoughts as he placed it next to his ear and answered the call.

He walked closer the cliff's edge, "Yes?" he stopped and looked up. "Again?"

Glynda listened carefully, unable to hear the other side of the call.

"Tell me, have the Valiant lost their touch as of late? That's the fourth Dust shop since last week." he looked down, placing his thumb on his chin. "But, how?" there was a moment of silence. "I see... I'll send a few Hunters your way." he listened to the other side for awhile. "Don't worry, I'll send only the best. There will be quite a lot cleaning up to do, I assure you, but if the Valiant still do their jobs, then it should be fine. Thank you!"

He ended the call with a swipe of his thumb, placing the Scroll back in is pocket, then glancing back at Glynda with a stern expression.

"What's wrong sir?" she asked.

Suddenly, and ear shattering hum penetrated the air, the students covering their heads, complaining as many of them groaned in discomfort. Glynda kept her hands to her side, fighting through the noise until it finally ended.

She looked at Ozpin, "I know that sound, What's going on, sir?"

Ozpin answered, "The Valiant are reporting two rogue Huntresses attacking the East side of the Commercial District. Obviously, Cinder must be among them. Glynda, I'm entrusting you and Oobleck to stop the situation from escalating."

"Yes, sir!" she replied, removing her wand, The Disciplinarian, from her hip and calling upon her Semblance, Telekinesis, to slice a cubic incision into the cliff, the Dust below her levitating.

"Glynda!" Ozpin caught her attention, stopping her as she was about to take leave on a flight of Dust. "Be extra careful. I suspect that Cinder may be in her sister's company."

Glynda looked back and nodded, waving her wand upward, lifting herself over the trees and heading in the direction of Beacon.

….

On the skyscrapers of the East Commercial District of Vale, Cinder stood tall with her arms crossed, her eyes set upon a single person watching her from afar. It was the masked figure from the forest, her eyes shining red through her Grimm eyes, her thumb pressed against the handle of her long sword in its scabbard. There was only the sound of wind around them as their long hair danced in the air.

"Well, well," Cinder muttered, sensing the Aura of the figure, knowing well that she could hear her words from their connection, "So sweet of you to come Sister ..."

Cinder held her hand over her chest, the emblem of the Branwen tribe appearing below her collar in red. Normally, the symbol consisted of a clock centered under the arms of a Raven's wing; but, it was altered, the clock replaced with something more peculiar. It was the symbol of a great tree, its leaves withered away with vines growing from the trunk. The only origin of such an emblem was none other than the crest of the Fall Maiden.

She grinned, Summoning the power of her Semblance, Scorching Caress, all forms of glass in the city near her shaking with heat, emitting an ear shattering shriek.

"Let's see who really deserves to be leader of the tribe, Raven."


	15. Blood of a Branwen

As ornaments, furniture, and all sorts of valuables crumbled under the pressure of Scorching Caress, swarms of Valiant zoned into the Commercial District, by way of Atlesian motorized vehicles, swift machines powered with Combustion Dust engines and rubberized wheels made for quick travel between cities. The driver windows were blackened from the heat of Cinder's Semblance, but their reinforced structure kept them from cracking for long duration. As their combat boots touched concrete, nearly a hundred marched in line, following orders given over Scroll, surrounding the rooftops where the Branwen sisters faced one another at distance. They aimed their rifles, the Dust powered chambers gleaming with the elements. As they prepared their assault, the civilians fled in terror from the eastern zone, many injuring themselves along the way.

"This is His Majesty's Valiant Enforcers!" the captain of the regiment spoke over the CCTS. "We have orders to subdue you by any means necessary! You have ten seconds to comply before we open fire!"

Cinder looked at the Enforcers, a scowl crossing her cheek. A massive collection of molten glass levitated up to the rooftops, surrounding her and Raven rapidly, and the Valiant immediately opened fire at the sign of a threat. The glass collected into the shape of a large sphere around the sisters, deflecting all bullets that came into contact. The surface turned black as shrapnel broke its bonds, only to reform from the smoldering heat. As the siren of Scorching Caress silenced, and the crystal barrier reached maximum mass, the gunfire halted, the Valiant captain ordering his men to ceasefire in the realization of their hopeless efforts. Nearly all glass from every visible building had formed into what seemed to be an impenetrable shield around the Branwens.

"Shit!" said one of the enforcers, kicking his boot against the door of his vehicle.

"Calm down!" the captain said, bringing his Scroll to his ear and sending out a call. "Headmaster Ozpin, its a stalemate. Are your Huntsmen on the way?"

…

Within the sphere of black glass, Raven and Cinder faced each other, the leader of the Branwen's eyes glowing red through her mask. Cinder smiled, her arms crossed gently over one another. The air was dense with heat, like the inside of an oven. With her body next to the edge of the sphere, Raven's skin dripped heavily with sweat. It was difficult to see without the aid of Scorching Caress; the only thing fighting darkness was sunlight bleeding through the cracks.

"Just you and I." Cinder said, her left eye blazing with her Aura. "Can you feel the burn, its passionate touch?"

Raven removed her mask, revealing a woman with blood-red eyes and thick brows. Her face was sharp, and her expression likewise, her long hair appearing as the silhouette of a raven's wing.

Cinder continued, "This scorch brings pain, but its nothing compared to what I've face before."

Raven wiped the sweat from her eyelids, struggling to breathe, "I never meant for you to suffer the way you did!" she shouted aggressively. "You can't see it now, but we are family, Cinder, and nothing can change that!"

Cinder chuckled with the back of her palm over her mouth, "So precious! A happy family?" She leaned forward, her right eye widened. "Was I family when you and your pretty boy Tai ran away to Oz?" she raised her pitch as if talking to a child. "Were you thinking about family when you sent your children into a war with all of Sanus?" she huffed, lifting her head high. "Pathetic! You can't love anyone, Raven. Even without Grimm in your veins, your corvid blood is still colder mine."

"I won't deny that I've made mistakes." Raven unsheathed Red Omen from its scabbard, conjuring her red Aura around the blade and slicing the air next to her, a dimensional rift opening beside her to some unknown location. "You're mind is shrouded by Grimmsang, and you've forgotten who you are!" she threw her Grimm mask into the portal, before it collapsed back into air. "But, now that I've seen you again myself, I know that you're still in there somewhere. "

"You're as dimwitted as ever, Raven!" Cinder countered, clenching her fist until her fingernails dug into her skin. "Pain is my only family now. My brothers and sisters are destruction, and agony is my dearest friend."

Suddenly, her Scroll rang. She reached under her dress, grabbing it from the belt on her upper thigh and answering the call.

"Cinder!" Arthur shouted from the line. "I see the reports! This is your doing, isn't it? You're disobeying direct orders! Cease this nonsense now, or face the consequences!"

Cinder angered, holding the phone in front her face and replying shrilly, "How dare you speak to me like a wench! I know my orders!"

Arthur replied, "You were not to attack civilians in the open!"

Cinder grinned, dropping her Scroll from the roof and into the blackened sphere, "My sister is not a civilian." the Scroll melted on contact, and she brought her eyes back to Raven. "No more interruption!" Cinder's left eye darkened with Grimmsang, the blood from her palm flowing up her arm, transforming her hand into the claw of a Grimm beast. "I'll show you the miracles that the Darkness can bring."

…

Outside of the sphere, Glynda Goodwitch arrived on a levitating surface of Dust, beholding the molten glass barrier, the brick and concrete on nearby structures reaching deadly temperatures, fire rising from the higher levels of adjacent buildings. She saw the Valiant waiting with their weapons ready on the street below, nearly all civilians vacated from the area. She descended downward with a few waves of her Disciplinarian, and she saw the captain of the regiment waving to her. She dropped the Dust below her feet and jumped onto the road.

"Headmistress!" the captain addressed. "Oobleck just arrived."

"Never late, never late for anything!' she heard his familiar voice behind her, and she turned back to find the professor with a small paper cup of black coffee held between his fingers, his circular glasses sliding down his nose. "Its been a hell of morning already, right Headmistress? Indeed, indeed, its been a bit unwell for all of us!" He took a single sip of his coffee, taking in all of it, then crushing the paper in his palm and tossing it through an open window of an enforcer vehicle. "Nevermores at the old temple, security breeches, paperwork and so forth." he pushed his glasses back in place, and brushed his hand over his hair just as it was about to fall in his face.

"Good to see you, Oobleck." Glynda greeted, reaching her hand out to him, the professor shaking it firmly. She looked back up at the blackened glass barrier, assessing their predicament. "Cinder must be in there, and Raven could be with her. We have to be careful; they are both very dangerous."

"Perhaps not as dangerous as you might think." Oobleck replied.

The Valiant captain joined, "Do you have a plan to break that thing open. If we could get through, a few bullets should do the trick. We've got plenty of Multi Dust rounds loaded in these bad boys." he presented his assault rifle, the standard for every enforcer in Vale. "Should disable their Semblance in no time."

Multi Dust was a mysterious mixture of Red, Yellow, Blue, and White Dust, capable of disabling Semblances; but the bullets were weak upon impact, and they were only useful if they could break past a Hunter's Aura.

"Don't be so confident." Glynda said, looking around the city, searching for a large object that would be easy to lift with her Telekinesis, but also cause the least possible collateral damage. "The Branwens are a formidable foes." She set her eyes on one of the Valiant's vehicles, waving her wand elegantly, the wheels lifting from the road as it slowly levitated up to the rooftops.

"Beacon better cover the cost of that one." said the captain.

Oobleck interjected, "I say that a safe city is payment enough." he crossed his arms. "But, yes I'm sure they'll cover it."

Glynda lifted her wand over her head, her eyes set on the glass sphere as she raised the vehicle high above it. Then, with a single toss of her wand, she threw the side of it into the barrier with as much speed possible, breaking through the molten glass with ease. Suddenly, they heard Cinder scream, and Raven jumped backwards out of the sphere, holding Red Omen over her chest in guard. As the glass began to cool and fall chaotically into the streets, Cinder leaped over the rooftops, her arm shrouded with Grimmsang, propelling herself forward with a burst of fire under her feet. Her blood dripped all across the district as she chased her sister.

"We can't let them escape!" Glynda watched their movements as Cinder slashed her Grimmclaw, avoiding strikes from Raven's deadly blade as they jumped from rooftop-to-rooftop. "Stop them!"

The Valiant opened fire, their rifles bursting with energy as their Multi Dust rounds burst with explosive power. Glynda waved her wand, removing the door of the same vehicle she used against the the barrier, bringing it to her feet, then jumping onto the interior side of it. Twirling the Disciplinarian, she sailed into the air with her feet spread in a perfect line, dodging bullets as she made her way to the Branwens.

"Just a moment, Misstress!" Ooblek yelled, removing a pencil from his dress pants pocket, then scraping it across the ground and slashing it upward, leaving a trail of dark Aura extending from the road and up the walls of a commercial building. "Wait up!" he ran across the trail, planting his feet against the wall and sprinting upward without effort. "I really need to stop skipping leg day."

When he jumped to the roof, he slashed his pencil all over the rooftops, leaving elevated platforms of dark Aura in the air, which he jumped across like platforms, hopping from several walls as he made his way to the sisters. This was the power of his Semblance, Gravity Trace, the ability to manipulate gravitational poles and warp space to his will, aided by his inconspicuous weapon, Continuum.

…

Raven thrusted her sword toward Cinder's hip, the Grimm sister spinning into a dodge and striking Raven's face with the elbow of her Grimmbound arm, cracking her nose bridge. Raven replied with a strike from her sword handle, the sharp edge grinding into Cinder's brow bone, fracturing it.

"Not bad, Raven, but not good enough!" shards of glass levitated into the air, firing down on the Branwen leader. Raven jumped across several rooftops, slicing several shards with her blade, her Aura protecting her, even though many managed to make it through. "Look at you run! I thought you were better than this?"

Raven angered, slicing a portal in the air, jumping through to avoid the remaining projectiles. On the other side, she emerged behind Cinder, holding her sword downward, slashing up against her sister's shoulder. Cinder rolled away, narrowly avoiding her arm being severed, a deep gash left on her upper back that bled Grimmsang like flowing water.

She quickly jumped back to her feet, her eyes glowing orange with fire, Grimmsang flowing into her wounds and hastily healing her, "Oh, just as I remember!" she turned back and moaned, standing tall with her hand over her thigh. "You can't hurt me, Raven! Pain," she brushed her finger across her inner thigh, collecting fresh blood on the tip until she licked it clean, "is my ecstasy!"

She held her hand forward with an open palm, a unique glyph with the emblem of the Fall Maiden at its center conjuring before her, unleashing a wave of fire at Raven. The Branwen Chieftan jumped down from the rooftops to avoid incineration.

"Come, come, little birdie!" she ceased the flames, her hands falling to her side and the glyph disappearing. "What are you afraid of?" her eyes widened and brows furrowed, the blood from her fracture seeping into her eye.

As she was about to chase her sister, a bullet pierced through her chest, the Valiant's Dust bullet erupting inside of the wound, searing through her flesh and weakening her Aura. She groaned, jumping to a building behind her and hiding behind a ventilation unit. Carefully, she peeked behind it, staring at the Valiant as they fired their weapons from afar.

"I'm after the other one!" she heard Oobleck shout from a nearby street.

"Get to it!" Headmistress Goodwitch replied, soaring above Cinder on a Valiant vehicle door, the Cinder glancing at her. "Cinder! This district has been evacuated. You can't do anymore harm here."

Cinder smiled mockingly, blood dripping from her bullet wound, Grimmsang collecting in a puddle beneath her, "Well, if it isn't Ozpin's bitch."

"I saw those flames." Glynda remarked, still levitating in the air. "You're the one who stole the Fall Maiden's power, aren't you?"

"Sorry," Cinder held her palm open, a ball of Grimmsang floating over it as her body healed, "I'd love to show you your place." the roadways of the Commercial District began to crack, as the sound of many Grimm beasts growling and roaring in the tunnels under Vale echoed the streets. "But, I'll give you something to play with until then."

A portion of Cinder's Grimmsang leaked into the draining gates of the roadway, some crawling into ruptures in the concrete. Numerous Beowolves and Ursai clawed through the pavement, Cinder's blood fueling their rage and strength. In moments, the district roads were torn to shreds, collapsing into chasms where Grimm climbed to the surface, quickly filling the area. The beasts charged their way westward, away from the evacuated zone and toward civilian territory. The Valiant had no choice but to delay orders and open fire on the Grimm.

You...can summon Grimm?!" Goodwitch looked at the streets in terror, then back to Cinder, who grinned at her in entertainment.

"If I were you, I'd hurry, pet!" Cinder's nostrils flared. "They won't last long without a Huntress."

She had little time to think, watching several Valiant from afar struggling to hold their defenses, Beowolves devouring them whole at the front line.

"This isn't over!" Glynda waved her wand, moving herself quickly, temporarily leaving Cinder to her misdeeds.

The Grimmbound Branwen wasted no time, peering out into the streets, seeking Raven through the army of Grimm. Soon, she found her sister fighting alongside Oobleck, gravity platforms surrounding them, the Chieftan's blood Aura flowing like smoke around them.

"Raven!" She screamed, the clouds seeming to move part against her call as the roof under her was set ablaze.

Raven glanced up at the rooftops, still slicing through Grimm beasts with ease. Noticing that she was distracted, Oobleck stabbed Continuum into a few nearby beasts as they attacked, conjuring gravity bombs within them, destroying their bodies from the inside through warped space.

"I do say," he said, dancing around Grimm while pinching undone buttons on his dress shirt back into place, "it's a shame we had to meet like this, Madam Raven!" He spoke quickly as usual, making it difficult to discern every word. "I'll have you know that in due respect that I'd rather do you no harm."

Raven slashed Red Omen up, then down against the beasts, splitting them into pieces, "You talk too much!"

"I'd say your reputation has taken a dive at the academy, madam. But, as it is clear that you do not intend to let these fowl creatures out of this evacuated zone, I take it you have some heart for the citizens of this city, yes?"

Cinder shouted from the sky, a trail of fire following her as she propelled herself toward them, "You're fight is with me!"

Shards of heated glass shot at them from all directions, puncturing through Grimm flesh to get their target.

Oobleck inscribed a circle around his feet with his pencil, Continuum, shifting gravity around him so that he fell upwards, until he reached the rooftops and hopped onto a nearby building for safety, "My, my, its utter chaos!"

Raven's eyes glowed red, her Aura breaking the pavement beneath her. She swung her sword around her body, forming a barrier that repelled each reflected each projectile away.

"Cinder!" she screamed as her sister drove her Grimmclaw into Raven's shield, breaking through her Aura and slicing a deep gash into her chest. The Chieftan slid back into a wall, losing her breath for a moment before staring back at her opponent. "You want to settle this?" she slashed her sword through Cinder's Grimm fingers, pushing her away and forcing her to her feet as she bellowed in pain.

Cinder's severed parts turned into Grimmsang. She placed her hand to the ground, summoning it back into her being, repairing her Grimmclaw in an instant. With eyes glowing upon her fiery Aura, she postured herself and stared at her sister.

The Grimm continued pushing through the East Commercial District, Oobleck and Glynda aiding the Valiant that as they contained the evacuated zone.

"You heard me!" Raven sheathed Red Omen, blood sinking through her dress and into her loose flower corset. "Do you really want to kill me?"

Cinder stared at her with disgust, curious of what she was insinuating. Raven sliced the air next to her, opening another portal, gesturing her sister to it.

"Follow me, and we'll settle this!" Raven stepped aside, staring at Cinder as she walked into the red tunnel. "Like our ancestors!"

As Cinder watched her disappear completely, she sneered and shook her head. She thought for a moment, before sprinting into the portal, following her sister's advice. Raven's tunnel faded, leaving their mess behind for the Valiant and Hunters to clean.

…

At the ruins on the northeastern edge of Beacon Cliff, Yang sprinted across the bridge leading to the temple tower, watching her sister in flight as she chased the Nevermore. She looked back for a moment, where Ren and Nora followed behind her. Suddenly, the Death Stalker blocked the path from Emerald Forest to the bridge, preventing Jaune, Pyrrha, and Blake from passing through.

Ren turned back, Nora stopping alongside him, "What should we do?"

Nora gripped her war hammer tightly and nodded, "I don't know, but we're taking this thing down."

Ruby screamed from above, Yang bringing her eyes to the sky, where the Nevermore flapped its giant wings, firing razor sharp quills down on her sister as she fell backwards.

"Ruby!" Yang rushed onward, until she reached the tower's base, stopping with her hand against the stone. "You're losing strength! Don't be stupid, get down here! You'll die!"

Ruby summoned a bed of roses, her Semblance weakening as she struggled to maintain flight while holding Weiss' sword, "I can't, Yang." a wind of petals carried her toward the Nevermore once again. "I have to save Weiss!"

She transformed Crescent Rose into a hybrid form, the rifle barrel protruding from the end of the staff with the crescent blades still ready for action. She fired several rounds at the beast's head, but the armor of its mask was too strong for her bullets to have any useful effect.

As the Raven passed over her head, Yang screamed, "Weiss! Can't you use your Semblance to escape?"

The Ice Queen yelled as loudly as she could, her grip on the feathers beginning to slip, "I CAN'T, I CAN'T. I NEVER LEARNED TO USE MY SEMBLANCE WITHOUT MY SWORD!"

Yang smashed the back of her fist against the tower in frustration. Then, she looked up the wall, noticing several indentations and edges that she could use to climb it. Not wasting a moment, she planted her foot into a deep crevice, grabbing hold of conveniently eroded stones, using her impressive strength to scale up at great speed. When she reached the top, she crawled up and stood against the edge, her height closely matching the Nevermore's.

She watched her sister as she still gave chase, but Ruby's energy was fading fast, and she regularly fell down between intervals of flight, her roses beginning to wilt, "Ruby!"

She reached into the pouch of her skirt lining, in search of Red Dust ammunition.

"Don't, Yang!" Ruby stopped her, Yang freezing in place while gritting her teeth. "Your bullets explode! You could hurt Weiss!"

Yang knew that her sister was right. She stomped against the tower surface in frustration and panic, "Gods damn this! Just get down here and use your Silver Eyes! This is senseless!"

Weiss let out a scream, "I don't think I can hold on much longer! Forget about me, Ruby! Save yourself!"

"I'm not giving up!" Ruby replied, swinging her scythe down against the Nevermore as she approached its side, slicing off a few bloody feathers, but leaving no significant injuries. "Weiss!" she was close to the Ice Queen, holding Myrtenaster out for her to grab. "Take Mitten Master, hurry!"

"It's Myrtenaster, you dolt!" Weiss reached her hand outward, the Nevermore's irregular movements making it difficult to maintain her grip. She was weak, wincing as her hand grew closer to her trusty weapon. But, with a single violent flap of its wings, the Nevermore ascended, throwing its tail downward and firing an onslaught of deadly feathers.

Ruby screamed, trying to dodge the fatally sharp quills, receiving cuts on her arms and legs, "Weiss!"

Then, she felt a stinging cut cross her upper back, a single feather tearing through her dress and sliding across her shoulder blades. Her vision went blank for a moment, and she began to fall down into the canyon.

"RUBY!" Yang nearly cried, reaching her hand down in hopeless desperation. "Wake up!"

For a moment, time seemed to stop, watching her sister fade into the mist of the canyon, her Aura diminished and unable to protect her. Then, her heart stopped with relief as a storm of roses emerged from below, rising up to the temple.

Ruby appeared from within the storm in a spin, a small amount of blood dropping from her body. She glided with the wind, until she reached the tower and made it to her sister's side, standing with sloped shoulders and leaning her head into Yang's shoulder.

"Sis!" Yang held her quickly, preventing her from falling to her knees. "Sis, we can't afford to make risky decisions. There's no one here to rescue us this time."

When she finished hugging her, Yang gently let her go. Ruby held her crescent rose in her right hand, leaning against it to prop herself up. Her eyes were shut, many small cuts occupying her face.

"Ruby, wake up." Yang gently shook her sister's shoulders. "Ruby, c'mon snap out of it. There's no time to rest, we have to think of a plan."

Ruby slowly opened her eyes, gently smiling when she saw Yang's face, "Yang!" suddenly she frowned, her eyes furrowed. "We've got to save Weiss."

"Can't you use your Silver Eyes?" Yang suggested, worry in her voice.

Ruby slowly shook her head, "I'm exhausted. I'll go blind. If Weiss falls, I don't think I could be fast enough to catch her."

Yang saw how weak her sister was, her legs shaking a bit as she struggled to hold Myrtenaster in her left hand, "Sis, I can't fly. There's nothing I can do to save you if fall!" she glanced back at the bridge below, Ren firing his weapon against the Death Stalker's back and Nora holding her war hammer ready for an attack. "This is worse than I thought." she looked back at her sister. "We don't need to kill this thing. We just need a plan to save Weiss."

Ruby looked down at Myrtenaster, "She needs her sword. She can't use her Aura without it."

Yang nodded, "I know."

Suddenly, they heard Weiss screaming. Ruby glanced up at the Nevermore, spotting the Ice Queen hanging on to its tail with one hand, moments away from a deadly plummet.

"That's it!" Ruby dodged around Yang. "I'm using my Eyes!"

Yang grabbed her hand, halting her for a moment, "Wait!" Ruby looked back at her and listened. "You just said it yourself, you idiot! You can't do that in the air, you're too weak! You'll go blind, or worse, you'll go unconscious and fall!"

"I don't care." Ruby summoned another storm of roses, her body disappearing into the the wind as she looked at her sister. "I won't let Weiss die!"

Yang could not stop her, her eyes glowing white as she left the tower in a hurricane of petals.

"Ruby!" Yang panicked.

Ruby flew toward the Nevermore, a stream of light following her in the shape of a raven's wings.

"Am I the only sane person here?" she grunted, reaching into her ammo pouch, removing a Red Dust bullet from within and loading it into the chamber under Ember Celica. Even if the blast from her attack could harm Weiss, she was ready to take her chances.

Then, she heard a voice from the top of Beacon Cliff behind the tower, "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

She turned to its origin, finding an a familiar face standing with crossed arms in the grassy field. His hair a deep yellow blonde, just like her own, with a small patch of hair on his chin. His eyes were blue like the sky, and he wore a loose pair of cargo shorts with leather and wooden sandals on his feet, and a leather vest over a beige tunic. It was unmistakably her father, Taiyang Xiao Long.

"Dad!" Yang yelled. "What are you doing here?"

He laughed, a bright smile over his face as he spoke with a warming tone, "Your mother's been watching out for you. I couldn't let her have all of the fun! Looks like you're in some trouble."

"Dad," Yang threw her arms down and shook, "help me save sis! She's in danger!"

"You have the power to do that yourself, young lady!" he replied with a grin. "Haven't you practiced your transformation?"

Yang grew ever more frustrated, "Dad, we don't have time for these games!" she looked over at Ruby, her eyes glowing white, flying closer to the Nevermore's head while Weiss somehow managed to keep hold of its tail. "Ruby's not thinking straight, we have to save her!"

"Oh, so now you ask for your old man's help?" Tai responded, turning to the side and watching the Nevermore as it circled the temple. "Your sister is simply doing what you aren't will to: she's taking action."

"Dad!"

Tai crossed his legs and sat at the edge of the cliff, still calm, "Don't you remember what I taught you? It's the perfect time. You're wasting your energy in confusion, when you should be using it fuel the fire in your lungs." he glanced at her with a piercing expression. "Are you going to let your sister die, Yang? Do as she does, and jump into the battle without fear."

Yang looked down, tears falling from her cheeks, "I don't know if I can do it! I'll lose control, I might make things worse, just like before!"

"Are you afraid?" Tai asked, sliding his leg over the cliff and keeping the other crossed over his knee. "Are you just my daughter, or are you something more than that? Aren't you the heir to the Branwen tribe? C'mon, Yang, prove that you've got what it takes! You came here to be a Huntress, right? Show them that you're not just some forest dweller!"

Yang felt a sensation in her chest, a combination of emotional intensity and her Aura flaring. Her hair rose upward, glowing in gold, and her eyes changed into a crimson shade. She began to growl, then groan, then scream with a deep rasp in her throat. She punched her stomach, then her side, summoning her Aura to absorb the energy through Burn. She continued to injure herself, her screams growing louder as blood began to soak through her bandages. Her Aura grew brighter and brighter, until the top of the tower was set ablaze by her Semblance. The sky echoed with her roar, as her pupils dilated, and her teeth grew out into sharp fangs. She could feel a surge of power deep within, one that she struggled to let out.

Her voice deepened, filled with rage, the spirit of the Great Dragon began to eat its way out from her soul.

…

Cinder and Raven stood alone, surrounded with trees bloomed in red, a continuous stream of dry leaves falling from the branches above them. Their faces were muddied with their own blood, and their eyes were fixated on each other. Only the sound of dead brush gave them company.

Cinder grimaced, her sister steps away with no guard, tempted to slice her open with her Grimmclaw, "Predictable as always. Brought me here to fight alone?" she chuckled, crossing her arm over her Grimmbound elbow. "Your instinct for combat weakens your judgment. With no one around, it'll be easy for me to bleed your neck dry."

"You know where we are?" Raven replied, her voice as fierce as her stare.

Cinder smirked, insulted by her tone.

Raven removed her armored shoulder pads, proceeding to disrobe her top completely, exposing the large wound across her chest. She tied the straps of her shoulder pads to the side of her belt, pulling her dress off of her body, leaving only her skirt and sword behind. Then, she wrapped her garments around her chest, placing her arms behind her back and tying them comfortably around her upper body, concealing her wound and exposing her stomach.

Cinder muttered, "What are you up to?"

Raven smiled, wiping a smudge of dried blood from the bridge of her nose, "This is the Forever Fall Forest." she circled around Cinder at a slow pace, keeping her sights on her. "My Semblance is Kindred Link; it allows me to travel anywhere where the spirits are strong, wherever I leave my soul in mediation. Do you know why it brought us here? This was where the Branwen tribe was born, our last bastion against the darkness."

Cinder replied, "A good place to be buried."

"Shut up!" Raven stopped and shouted. "I didn't come here to talk to whatever is you are, Grimmfiend. I speak to my sister, and nothing else." she continued pacing around her, her head held down with a scowl. "I came to this city to watch over the treasure of our tribe, Yang and Ruby; but, I also came to see you for myself. I wasn't sure if there was anything left of you But, I know there is hope." she stood and looked up through the sunlight beaming through the leaves. "The moment I arrived here, I could sense your Aura. I know that you, too, could sense mine. That means that somewhere in that dark shell of yours, you're still alive. I know you're in there, Cinder. It's not like you to fight!"

Cinder let her arms fall loosely to her sides, the Grimmsang on her arm retreating back into her body, the Grimmclaw fading away.

Raven continued, "You say you want the girl's dead, that you want to kill Ruby? I know you better than that. When the Witch took you away from us, she obviously gave you immense power. If you really wanted them dead, you would have done it by now."

Cinder laughed, "You are such a fool, Raven. I'm simply following my orders."

"I said, silence!" Raven unsheathed her blade, holding the end of it against her sister's neck. "I told you," Cinder looked down at her with a blank expression, "I'm here to talk to my sister, not you!"

Cinder's left eye turned black, the eyes of a Grimm beast peering at her with disgust. In moments, her eye returned to its normal amber color, and she watched as Raven returned Red Omen to its scabbard, and she paced around her once again.

"You've always been the light of the tribe, Cinder. Even now, our people remember you as the beauty of our circle. You taught our girl's to dance, to play games, and stayed close to them on long journeys. You were more of mother to them than I ever was." Raven turned her back to Cinder. "I've had to search my soul to admit, that I was blinded by war. I guess, I never found the time to make up for the pain you suffered through." she turned again, facing her sister in close proximity. "But now I know that you're not completely gone! Rest assured I will find a way to save you. Our girls will find a way to save you!"

Cinder laughed again, louder than before and with a much mockery, "Stupid Raven, completely stupid! Enough talk!" her eyes glowed with fire, the symbol of the Fall Maiden reappearing over her chest. "Today is the day you die!"

Raven smiled, taking a few steps back, "Fine, but I have something you might be interested in." she opened a pouch hanging from the belt around her skirt, removing a golden necklace with a strange rectangular plate hanging from the end. She threw it over her head, and around her neck. Then, she held the plate up for her sister to see. "I have a weapon, Grimmfiend. It can stop you in an instant, maybe even destroy you completely."

Cinder's interest was piqued.

Raven smiled, "But, if you want to find out what it is, you'll have to defeat me in a Grove Match. Simply taking it from me won't be enough."

Cinder thought for a moment, her curiosity overtaking her, "Fine." she replied, pulling up the skirt of her dress, tying the ends around her waist so that her legs were free. "I'll humor you for just a little while. But, when I defeat you, don't be surprised when I slit your throat and take ridiculous necklance of yours." she spread her legs into a firm stance against the dry leaves, holding her arms held outward with her wrist dangling loosely.

"Good!" Raven pumped her fists, her Aura flowing. "You know the rules! The first to fall from their feet loses! No kicks and no legs, just Aura-to-Aura! Now, lets fight!"


	16. White Rose Storm: Finishing Attack!

The Death Stalker had finally been slain, and Nora, Ren, Jaune, and Pyrrha charged down the narrow bridge leading to the ruined tower. Blake Belladonna held on tightly to the ribbon of Gambol Shroud, swinging over the cliffs at great speed with her weapon anchored to the higher bridges connected to the cliff side. Yang screamed to the heavens, flames surrounding her body and her hair flowing with Aura as her voice deepened.

Yet, for Ruby Rose, they were like ghosts, her heart set on rescuing Weiss Schnee, whose grip upon the Nevermore's tail was quickly slipping. Her eyes shone with white as she soared in the air against wilting flowers, Crescent Rose on her back and Myrtenaster in her left hand.

"I'll save you!" she yelled, using what little remained of her Aura to boost her Semblance, dashing in front of the Nevermore and grabbing hold of its mask.

The beast cawed, its cry hurting her eardrums, until all she heard was ringing. As it shook its head violently, attempting to force Ruby off, the young Branwen girl held on firmly, staring at the Grimm's red eyes.

She opened her lids, screaming, "Let her go!"

White wings of Aura flowed out of her Silver Eyes, the canyon filled with blinding light, the other students covering their vision as the Nevermore screamed with pain. Some of its feathers rotted away into Grimmsang, dripping down the cliff.

Suddenly, Weiss lost her grip, beginning a fall into the canyon. For a moment, her heart stopped, until something grabbed hold of her in air, pulling her toward Beacon Cliff. She struggled to see through the light of the Silver Eyes flash, but could ascertain the silhouette of Blake's hair and bow tie. In moments, she was carried to the top of the cliff, Blake retracting Gambol Shroud back to her hand before placing the Ice Queen on her heels in the grass.

The light began to fade, and Weiss walked to the edge of the cliff, much of her strength drained, "Ruby!"

Blake stepped beside her, placing Gambol Shroud back into the sheath attached to her belt, "Incredible. She's giving it her all."

The Nevermore crashed into the cliff edge, and Remnant shook before its weight. Ruby was thrown from the beast's head, her Aura barely protecting her, and blinded from the use of her Silver Eyes. Her back crashed into the wall, Dust scraping against the gash on her back, and she closed her eyes as she slowly lost consciousness.

"RUBY!" Weiss screamed, watching as her teammate slid down into the canyon.

Ruby looked up at the sound of her voice and whispered, "I'm sorry, Weiss...I hope you don't get...a bad grade..."

She rolled down into the pit of mist, her body crashing into the canyon walls, Crescent Rose and Myrtenaster joining her in the tumble.

"Ruby!" Weiss ran to the other side of Beacon Cliff, scaling the edge for a steady slope downward.

"Weiss, what are you doing?" Blake reached out to her, trying to stop her.

When she saw Myrtenaster fall onto a protrusion in the cliff, she knew what she needed to do. She ran as close to it as she could, then sat over the edge, letting herself slide down the cliff against her rear, holding her skirt down as she quickly approached the platform. The moment she was within grasp of her weapon, she snatched it from its resting place, spinning the revolver in an instant as she began to fall.

"I'm coming Ruby!" she yelled, holding the edge of the blade next to her leg, a dark gravitational glyph appearing below her, her heels planted firmly onto it as a trail of dark Aura shot down into the canyon, creating a path for her. Spinning the revolver once again, she loaded her sword with Red Dust, a trail of combustion accelerating her downward against warped space, disappearing into the mist with the Branwen girl.

"Wiess, Ruby!" Jaune screamed from the bridge while Nora ran for the the tower base. "We've got to save them!"

Pyrrha glanced up at the Nevermore, its claws digging into the side of the cliff, its eyes bloodied and apparently blinded. The beast was regaining its strength, flapping its wings as Blake fired rounds at its head from nearby. She looked back to the other side of the bridge leading to Emerald Forest, where Ren stood firmly, firing his weapon in Blake's aid. Yet, it appeared to have little effect on the giant beast.

Then, her eyes returned to the top of the tower, Yang's voice echoing in the sky as she screamed in an almost painful way. Weary of doing nothing, she grabbed her shield, infused it with her Aura, and tossed it at the Nevermore with all of her strength, the blades spinning at the edge as her Polarity guided it to its target.

Jaune looked to the tower's base, "Nora!"

Nora took her sights off of the Nevermore for a moment, her grenade launcher held firmly under her arms "What's up?"

Pyrrha's shield sliced through the feathers of the Nevermore, and it returned to her hand swiftly. Still, it seemed to do little harm to the Grimm.

"Can't you use your hammer to fly?" Jaune asked. "Can you rescue Weiss and Ruby?"

Nora nodded with a grin, "Good idea! But it'll take all of the Dust I have left."

"Then, hurry, before its too late!' Jaune replied with dismay, his pitch shifting, desperate to save what few friends he had made in his short time at Beacon.

Just as she about to transform her weapon, her eyes widened as a look of concern overtook her, "REN!"

Jaune looked back at the Nevermore, only to find the beast flying swiftly at them with its talons open for a strike. Its damaged eyes were set on Ren, who ran towards the tower as quickly as her could. He rolled forward, barely managing to dodge the Grimm's claws. The bridge was broken into two, and it collapsed in line behind him.

Nora sprinted past Pyrrha and Jaune, quickly making her way to her love. As a block of stone fell in front of Ren's front foot, she grabbed onto his hand and pulled him up to safety. They hastily rejoined the group, the students running to the base of the tower before the bridge could take them.

"I don't think that we can defeat this thing!" Ren said under steady breaths.

"I know!" Nora panted. "But, we have to save those two! What kind of Hunters would we be if we just let them die?"

Blake swung from the top of Beacon Cliff from the ribbon of Gambol Shroud, landing near the tower and waiting for the others. Pulling her weapon away from the the upper bridges and back to her grasp, she began more shooting more rounds into the Nevermore.

Soon the destruction stopped, leaving a large gap left between the ruins and the exit toward Emerald Forest, confining them. They walked about the tower, watching Blake's bullets pierce through the beast's feathers, yet still having little effect on it. Then, the Nevermore brought it's attention back to them, turning toward them in flight and readying its talons for yet another strike, but this time they had nowhere to run.

"Jaune, surely you have a good plan again?" Pyrrha said, slowly stepping back and around the walls of the tower, keeping her mind away from panic.

Blake shouted through her gunfire, "We definitely could use another genius plan, Vomit Boy!"

Jaune had no reply, gritting his teeth and preparing for the worst, "I...I...can't think of anything."

"I've got one!" Nora screamed, aiming her grenade launcher at the Nevermore, firing two rounds at it. "This thing's going down!" she growled.

Her bullets hit their mark, exploding on impact, shifting the beast's flight away from them. It cawed, Grimmsang dripping down its feet as it shook its head and flew in the opposite direction.

"Take that, meanie!" Nora yelled, stomping her foot.

Suddenly, they felt a strange shift in the wind, Yang's voice echoing like thunder, changing into something inhuman. They looked up, the flames from the top of the tower dwindling away, replaced with something much more astonishing. A great, long dragon flew over them, its wings shrouded with the color of lilac and crimson, its body and scales golden, gleaming against the sun's rays as its tail whipped swiftly in the air.

"Yang..." Nora gasped with amazement, in awe of its glowing red eyes.

The dragon clashed its head against the Nevermore's wing, pushing it away from the others and carrying it across the sky as it wrapped its long body around the Grimm. The great beasts crashed onto the top of Beacon cliff, a pained caw echoing far. The dragon bit the Nevermore's neck as it struggled to break free from its clutches, Grimmsang pouring by the gallon down the canyon walls.

"That dragon...is Yang?" Ren muttered, observing the horrid battle.

Blake sheathed her weapon, keeping her eyes on the fight as she explained, "Yang must a descendant of the Dragon Tribe."

Pyrrha replied, "The Dragon Tribe? I think I've heard of them before," she bowed lightly, "Excuse me, in Mistral, you only read about these things."

Blake nodded, "I don't come from this country either, but, the Faunus were once close to the tribes, not long ago. Before the Branwen tribe, there were three tribes in Vale: the Dragon, the Corvid, and the Rose. I guess none of them got along, for years. Eventually they unified."

"But why can Yang transform into a dragon?" Nora asked, her brow raised high.

Blake continued, "The three tribes are very old, maybe even as old as Vale. They keep their secrets close, but the Library of Menagerie tell us a lot about them. They each consider think of themselves as descendants of the God's First Creations. If Yang can do this," she watched as the dragon slashed its tail against the Nevermore's mask, "then she must be a descendant of the Great Dragon. I always thought it was a myth, until now."

Ren joined, "I've heard stories, but I never knew they were true."

"Does that mean Ruby can turn into one, too?" Jaune asked.

"Anyone's guess." Blake answered bluntly, before pointing up at the Grimm. "Look!"

The Nevermore drove its sharp beak into the dragon's neck, Yang's voice echoing through dragon's groans as the flesh under it's scales bled. Soon, the Grimm spread its wings, it's sharp quills damaging the dragons body as it broke free. The dragon cried, banging its head to the grass, the entire cliff shaking with such force that even the students could feel it beneath in the ruins.

The Nevermore cawed, preparing for flight with its beak covered in Grimmsang. But, the dragon did not surrender, lifting its tail high above its head, slashing it downward like a whip against the Grimm's back, fracturing its wing and pushing down into the canyon. The beast panicked, digging its claws into the cliff, Dust breaking away from Remnant as it tried desperately to regain control. Its efforts failed, however, and it began tumbling down into the misty pit, screeching with every moment its body crashed into the terrain. The students glanced down, the Nevermore disappearing completely, until its cries were but a distant call.

"She did it!" Nora squeezed her arms together, a big smile crossing her cheeks as she jumped up and down, then ran to her boyfriend and hugged his back. "Ren, we did it, we did it, we did it!" Ren blushed for a moment, smirking as she clapped her hands rapidly. "We beat our first big monster! We're Hunters!"

Ren was cautious to celebrate, glancing up at the dragon, then back down into the canyon. "We shouldn't make any assumptions yet."

"We shoudn't be celebrating!" Jaune said, sweat dripping from his chin as he stared into the canyon. "Weiss and Ruby are still down there! Nora, do you still have enough Dust to check on them?"

She placed her hand over her chin, looking down with a worried expression, "I'm sorry … I guess I wasn't thinking. I used two shots on that ugly thing. I've only got three canisters left. There's no way I have enough to make down there and back now."

"There has to be something we can do?" Pyrrha paced around, her palm open, her sword gripped in her other hand. "As long as we stay calm, we can think of something, right Jaune?"

"I think we have another problem." Blake warned, glancing up at the dragon, the other students doing the same.

The dragon stared at them furiously, flames erupting from its nostrils, its pupils darting between each of them. Even though its injuries were extensive, it stood tall with its tail high and its spine raised, as if ready for an attack.

"Yang..." Nora muttered, taking a step back.

"Yep, we're lizard food." said Blake.

The dragon charged off of the cliff, beating its wings and warping its body, flying to them with its jaw open.

"Run!" Jaune screamed, the group sprinting toward the collapsed bridge, narrowly avoiding the dragons bite as it snapped it teeth behind them.

It turned back around swiftly, a gust of wind left in its trail, whipping its tail against the top of the tower, breaking a large chuck of stone away. The students turned back, preparing their weapons, ready to defend against maddened Yang Xiao Long.

"Yang!" Jaune screamed. "Its us! Your friends!"

They carefully watched its irregular flight pattern.

Ren commented, "Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I guess. We shouldn't try to hurt it?"

Blake pulled Gambol Shroud out of its sheath, imbuing it with her Aura and throwing it towards a high bridge with the ribbon in her hands, "I can distract it." Suddenly, a mirage of herself emerged from her body, a perfect clone that held its own fake version of her weapon in its hand. "My shadow will do the trick."

Her two selves jumped over the canyon, swinging around the ruins.

"Hey, bad breath!" The true Blake screamed as she kicked her legs forward, jumping back onto Beacon Cliff as her weapon returned to her. "Over here!" She snatched Gambol Shroud in air, holding its reverse side and firing rounds at the dragon, taking care that few of her bullets landed.

The dragon flew in her direction, its mouth open and readied, until Blake's shadow jumped onto its head, covering its eyes and scaring it, until it crashed onto the top of the cliff, dragging in the Dust. Blake's shadow jumped away, and disappeared into a cloud of dark smoke, the true Blake waiting for the dragon to recover.

"Yang!" she yelled. "Snap out of it! The fight's over!"

The dragon lifted its head, shaking grass blades from its face, glaring back at her with its pupils elongated and spit dripping form its sharp teeth. It dug its claws into the Dust, returning to its feet with the aid of its wings; then, it walked toward Blake, swaying as if it were dizzied. Its long tongue hanging, it roared with flaming breath, Blake taking steps back before it slashed its nails at the Faunus. When Blake's body faded away into black smoke, the beast was startled.

"Yang!" the true Blake called out from behind the dragon, and it turned its head back, twisting its body. "Stop this!" she aimed her gun at its face, keeping her distance as the dragon approached. "Since we're teammates, I'd rather not hurt you if I don't have to."

The beast stepped closer, its demeanor unyielding.

"Think about Ruby!"

Suddenly, it stopped, its eyes dilating, and its head held high; its brows furrowed, and its tail lowered.

Blake let her weapon fall to her side, "That's right! Your sister needs you! She fell in the canyon, and she could be hurt badly. Don't you want to save her?"

The dragon breathed heavily, a fiery Aura appearing around its scales, the tall grass under its feet charring. Its banged its head against the the ground, until its size began to shrink, letting out a deep cry.

From the base of the ruined tower, the other students observed a bright flame rising above the cliff, unable to see the commotion beyond the edge.

"What is she doing up there?" Pyrrah asked, hearing the cries of the dragon.

"I don't know," Jaune muttered, "but, I hope they're both alright up there"

The dragon's voice dwindled away and the flames subsided; then, there was silence.

"Yang!" Nora called out. "Blake!"

They waited anxiously.

Soon, Blake appeared over the edge, her bow tie gone and her cat ears swaying against the wind current. Her coat and overskirt were removed, revealing her laced, sleeveless undershirt and shorts. Held under her arm by the waist was Yang, her clothes missing, instead covered with Blake's garments, and her head hanging down with her hair in the grass.

"Yang!" Jaune shouted with concern. "What happened to her?"

Blake tossed Gambol Shroud toward a nearby bridge, twisting the ribbon around her wrist, jumping down to the group with her teammate held firmly in her grasp. She landed lightly on her feet, crouching down gently and placing Yang's back to the stone.

"She's unconscious," Blake said, the other students gathering around her, "but I think she's okay. Her injuries a minor."

Yang was covered with scratches, her neck scabbed with a large cut, and her bandages missing, revealing her healing bullet wounds. Much of the damage she sustained during her transformation remained on her human form, but none of them appeared fatal.

"She's lucky to be alive, just like all of us." Ren said, placing his guns in their holsters.

Blake laid Yang's head on the stone, leaving her to rest as she stood up and said, "Well, we still have one problem." she walked past the group, looking down into the mist of the endless pit. "Without her ability to fly, there's no way we can rescue those two now."

As the others glanced down, they kept quiet, hoping that someone among them would interject with the perfect rescue plan.

"What can we do now?" Jaune wondered, his head leaning forward, wishing for the best.

….

The mist was thick at the bottom of the canyon, Dust to mud and the air hot. Crumbled stone from the collapsed bridge above was scattered about, alongside buried artifacts of various kinds, resurfaced from years of erosion and shifting lands. It would have been empty of all life, if not for two would-be Huntresses close to a flowing river stream, one resting on her knees, holding the other's head in her lap as she lay unconscious upon her back.

"C'mon, get up!" Weiss said with knitted brows, moving Ruby's head gently. "Wake up you, dolt. Damn it! Get up!"

The Branwen girl showed little signs of awareness, only taking an occasional breath between long pauses of silence. Weiss looked to her teammates side, where Crescent Rose was placed in its rifle form, then back to her own weapon, Myrtenaster, resting next to her heel.

She groaned with a frown, staring back down at Ruby, a teardrop falling from her cheek and into Ruby's hair. She leaned down, her ponytail draping over her face as she held her teammate close and nestled her forehead into her shoulder.

"Why did you have to come rescue me like that?" her voice was strained. "So what if I asked for help...you're still an airhead for trying!" she began to cry heavily, her lips muffled in Ruby's cloak. "I'm a Schnee... I'm supposed to do the saving, not you. I'm sorry!" she felt the warmth of the gash on Ruby's back. "I never should have ran away, dad...what was I thinking...becoming a Huntress? I'm not even a full student yet, and I already screwed up." she sobbed, pushing Ruby's head to her collarbone. "Ruby, I'm sorry I was mean to you. You were right. I'm the same as him..."

"Its okay, Weiss." Ruby said with a rasp.

Weiss screamed, scooting away in the mud and dropping her teammate's head, grabbing Myrtenaster along the way, "Y-y-you were awake?"

Ruby struggled to open her eyes, shaking her head lightly and pushing her hair away from her eyes, "Weiss..." she struggled to speak.

"Whatever you think you heard isn't true!" Weiss huffed, turning her head to the side with a blush. "You're delirious, hearing things!"

Ruby slowly sat up, her head bobbing around, forcing herself to maintain balance. "Weiss," she grabbed Crescent Rose, bringing herself back to her feet, "you're wrong."

The Ice Queen blinked with surprise. She stood from the mud, patting filth off of her dress. "What do you mean I'm wrong?"

Ruby slowly faced her, leaning forward with sunken eyes, "You are a Huntress. We're both Huntresses. I don't care what anyone says. I know that you can be the best Huntress at Beacon, if you wanted to be."

Weiss turned her eyes away with a blank expression, "What do you know?"

Ruby continued, "Maybe I don't know anything, but, I do know this: you are a Huntress, Weiss. I can tell, that you're just like the heroes in my bedtime stories. I believe in you."

Weiss looked back at her teammate, losing her composure as she frowned again, "Ruby..."

The mud quaked below them, accompanied by the sound of a loud caw.

"No, no, no!" Weiss tightened the grip on her sword handle, glancing back at the origin of the of the sound. "How did that thing get down here?"

They heard large footsteps approaching, the fog shifting as the Grimm's black feathers danced around them. Soon, the Nevermore was in sight, heading for Weiss as it opened its wings and frantically moved its head, its eyes hollowed out.

"I'm not afraid." Ruby held Crescent Rose close to her chest. "We can do this, together!"

"Just fire at it already!" Weiss said, pulling her sword handle back, stepping into a side stance. "If you distract him, I can come up with a plan!"

The Grimm threw its beak down at the Ice Queen, and she dodged it with ease, sliding away with an ice glyph under her feet with the elegance of a ballerina. She hopped into a spin, landing beside Ruby with her sword ready for attack.

"Weiss, I don't know where he is." the girl of roses replied.

"Why!?" Weiss uttered with frustration, demanding a quick answer. "He's right there!"

"I'm blind."

Weiss gasped as she glanced at her teammate, realizing that she had completely ignored her empty stare and white pupils. Her heart stopped, and a sense of guilt overcame her.

"I can still fight." Ruby said, facing the direction of the Nevermore, a light rain of rose petals falling down over them as she summoned what little remained of her Aura. She aimed her rifle upward, preparing to fire.

"You moron!" Weiss interrupted her, grabbing her cloak and pulling her close, slashing her sword below in a circle, forming another ice glyph.

As the Nevermore spread its bloodied wings, tossing a barrage of razor quills their way, Weiss slid away against a trail of ice on her heels, escaping the Grimm with Ruby behind her. With her sword in one hand and Ruby's hood in the other, she dragged her teammate away to safety until they reached another wall of the canyon.

She stopped, dropping Ruby on her rear in the mud.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Weiss scolded, stepping in front of her and preparing for the Nevermore.

Ruby shook her head, slowly bringing herself to her feet, "Weiss, I'll be fine. I'm used to it."

"You're hurt!" Weiss looked back. "You can barely stand, how the heck are you going to fight if you're blind too? 

Ruby's voice was still strained, her hands shaking from exhaustion, "I know we'll find a way."

"The only 'way' we need to find is one out of here." Weiss huffed, looking at her revolver, the only vial of Gravity Dust loaded into it already half emptied. "Except, I used most of my Gravity Dust to get down here!" she sighed. "I guess, we'll just have to hold it off until we think of something."

The Nevermore was within striking range, stopping in front of them, its injuries the only thing giving it caution. She spun her revolver, loading her sword with Red Dust, a fire glyph appearing at the tip of the blade as she prepared to defend.

"Stay behind me." she said, pushing Myrtenaster outward and holding her free hand open behind her, signaling Ruby to keep away.

A single falling rose petal caught the Ice Queen's focus as it passed by her scarred eye. It went through the fire glyph, setting it ablaze in the air. To her amazement, it behaved peculiarly, distracting her for some time. Instead of destroying the petal entirely, her glyph seemed to change it somehow. For a moment, it twisted in place, a small cyclone of orange around it. Perplexingly, the rose shot through the air in an instant, failing to disintegrate and leaving a trail of Aura behind it.

A realization overtook her, one that she did not completely understand. Loosening the grip on her blade, and ignoring the Nevermore for a short while longer, she looked back at Ruby, who stood firmly with her head leaning forward, her hands still shaking. She allowed her glyph to fade, lowering Myrtenaster to her side. Somehow, she understood what it was about her teammate's Semblance that had fascinated her since she arrived to Beacon.

"Ruby..." she said, the Branwen opening her eyes with furrowed brows, turning her head to lend an ear. "...I have a crazy idea."

…

"What can we do now?" Jaune wondered, his head leaning forward, wishing for the best.

After an awkward stillness enveloped them, the students heard something coming from the canyon.

"That sound..." said Ren.

"I know that voice..." said Blake.

"I think its..." Nora joined.

They collectively finished, "Ruby?"

Screaming echoed from below, and it grew louder by the moment. Soon, they saw the Nevermore rising up from the mist, its back grinding against the cliff wall, a giant ball of fire underneath it. In seconds, the Grimm was thrown into the sky, letting out a great caw as it was thrown to the top of the cliff.

Then, the ball of fire closed in on the students, shock ensuing. As it was too swift to avoid, they summoned their Auras and put themselves on guard, only for the ball of fire to stop above them on the bridge, shrinking in size. As the heat dwindled and the fire dissipated, they saw the shadows of Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose within, burning rose petals gliding around them.

As Ruby's cape appeared in a trail of fire, and Weiss' hair blew against the wind, they fell together and rejoined the group at the center of their circle.

"Not the face!" Ruby flailed her arms downward as she fell on her cheek against the bridge. Weiss was lucky, landing with her posterior on the Branwen girl's lower back, narrowly avoiding her teammates gash. "Ow, Ow, Ow. Weiss!" she screamed hitting the ground and whining. "You're heavier than you look!"

Their weapons dropped next to them, Myrtenaster ringing and Crescent Rose clinking in scythe form.

"How dare you!" Weiss replied, slowly standing up with Myrtenaster in her hand. "I have a perfect figure!" she huffed, her palm over chest as she looked down.

Jaune grabbed Ruby's hand, lifting her up in elation, "Ruby, Weiss, you guys are okay!" he nearly cried.

The others expressed both excitement and confusion, unsure of what had just transpired.

"What was that just now?" Nora asked.

As Ruby picked up Crescent Rose from the bridge, Pyrrha commented, "Your back! Ruby your hurt, badly."

Ruby replied, lacking her usual cheerful tone, "I'll be fine."

"What was that fire just now?" Ren asked.

Weiss patted soot and grime off of her dress, "When I figure it out, I'll tell you."

Ruby looked around the bridge, her hands still shaking, using Crescent Rose to prop herself up, "Where's Yang?"

Blake stepped into the circle, gesturing her handto the base of the ruined tower, where Yang lay on her back unconscious, wrapped in minimal garments, "She's here."

"Yang! I'm back!" Ruby asked, her eyes staring blankly into space.

Blake noticed her white pupils, realizing that she could not see, "She's out cold, but she's breathing. If we get back to campus, I'm sure the nurses can take care of her."

"Oh, Yang," Ruby winced and furrowed her brows, "I'm sorry."

They were interrupted by the caw of the Nevermore. On Beacon Cliff, the beast held its wings open with its tongue out. It's mask was badly cracked, and it appeared to struggle in walking.

"Is it immortal?" Ren said with frustration, preparing his weapon.

"I'm sick of this thing!" Weiss threw her fist down in a fit of rage. "I'm dirty, and sweaty, and I'm tired! Ruby!" she looked at her teammate, spinning the revolver of her sword.

"Best friend?" Ruby replied.

"Come here." Weiss said, the revolver still spinning.

Ruby walked closer, Weiss holding her arm out outward. Ruby stopped at the edge when she felt the Ice Queen's palm.

"Right there." Weiss continued. "You want to finish this thing?"

Weiss glanced at the Nevermore as it cracked its neck, fearful to fly with its fractured wing.

Ruby nodded.

"Alright. Time to put your flower power to use. I'm giving you everything I've got. This perfectly refined Schnee Dust won't let us down. Think you'll survive?"

Ruby smiled, "You don't know what you're doing, do you?"

"No."

Ruby laughed, holding Crescent Rose in both hands as she conjured a gentle storm of rose petals around them, "I know I'll be fine. I just know I can always trust you, Weiss."

Weiss blushed for a moment, but distracted herself when setting her eyes back on the Nevermore, "Let's put this bird down!"

"What are guys doing?" Pyrrha asked.

The other students were confused, yet intrigued.

"Watch, scraggly!" Weiss held her sword back. "This is why you don't mess with a Schnee!" She thrust her sword forward, an array of glyphs of various types appearing in front of her.

The Nevermore jumped from the cliff, beating its wings and managing to stay airborne.

"Now!" Weiss yelled.

A storm of petals swept Ruby into the air, and she disappeared within. The petals burst through the glyphs one-by-one, attaining the Aura combined in the elements collected by the Ice Queen. Within the blink of an eye, the edge of the bridge was covered with ice, flames combusting against a raging wind, sparks of electricity penetrating the air, space shifting before them.

The roses shot forward, engulfed in an elemental flurry, bashing into the Nevermore's chest, and smashing it into the side of the cliff. It screamed as Ruby emerged from the petal storm, blue flames pushing her into the wall, and a gravitation platform holding her feet normal to it. She held the Grimm down against her scythe, now extended with a long, razor sharp ice blade.

"Do it Ruby!" Jaune yelled his support, raising his sword into to the air.

Ruby pulled her scythe back, and drove the sharp end into the Nevermore's chest, keeping it pinned as it screamed.

"Finish it!" Blake said, the fur on her ears spiking up.

Ruby removed her scythe from its body, then sliced into its wing, then into its chest, and again, and again, and again, shouting and unrelenting. Electricity surged through her muscles, strengthening her by the second. With one final slash of her weapon, she trapped the Grimm's neck into the cliff.

"Hurry, before the Dust wears off!" Weiss warned, bringing her sword to her side and stopping the revolver

Ruby moved her back foot forward, beginning a sprint up the cliff side, dragging the Nevermore against her blade. It's cries were silenced, as its neck began to leave its body, feathers flying everywhere with rose petals. She bellowed through every step up, and when she reached the top of the cliff, she swung the scythe through the Grimm's neck with all of her might, it's head springing up and away from its body, Grimmsang flowing in all directions. Its body fell into the canyon, melting into nothingness, its head soaring high in the direction of the temple

The others watched as she defied gravity, Crescent Rose held above her head, like the crescent moon in the cycle of Spring.

"She did it!" Nora pumped her fists. "Whooohooo!" she jumped. "She did it! Go Ruby, Go Ruby!" She twisted her hips and cycled her arms in a dance. "I wanna be on her team!"

All but Blake cheered for her, the Faunus girl unraveling the ribbon of Gambol Shroud, throwing the blade up at the Grimm mask, catching it as the last of the beast's flesh disappeared. She tugged the ribbon, pulling the mask down to her, where she hoisted it over her shoulder, carrying the over sized trophy over her arching back.

"This'll look good on my wall." she remarked with a smile.

Ruby listened carefully from above, the clapping and hollering of her companions giving her a guide back. Her being still infused with Dust Aura, she summoned a lighting petal storm, which carried her at flash speed back to the tower. When the ball of electricity faded, and her roses wilted into decay, her form returned to it natural state.

There, she rested on her knees before her sister's unconscious body, her hands planted on the stone.

"Hey," Weiss ran over to her, the rest of the group following after, "Ruby, are you alright?"

She the other's for a moment, looking down without sight at her sister's face with worry, "Yang, we did it."

Suddenly her Yang's eyes slowly opened, a strained smile crossing her cheeks, "...Sis..."

"You must've turned into a dragon, again." Ruby replied. "It's not healthy for you."

Yang's voice cracked, "Dad was here."

The elements within Ruby's Aura settled, leaving her body slowly like smoke, "I thought I sensed him before. He's probably gone now." Suddenly, she felt her muscles weakening, and she lost the strength to hold herself, her eyes closing as her head fell. "Goodnight Sis..."

Her head crashed onto Yang's chest, her sister losing breath and coughing, "Ouch! Ruby..."

Jaune stepped forward and interrupted, "Yang, how are you feeling?"

When she didn't answer, Blake pushed him aside and walked to her, staring down at her with her tail swaying back and forth, "Hey."

Yang looked to the side, her eyes starting to close.

"Have any strength to walk?"

Suddenly, Yang laughed, snorting through her nose, pointing up at her teammate. "You..." Blake grimaced, unhappy with her tone. "Your ear..." she covered her mouth as she snorted more. "It's flopped backwards!"

Blake raised a brow, then touched the top of her head, realizing that Yang was correct. As the dragon girl laughed loudly with her hands over Ruby's head, the cat Faunus brushed her hand back over her hair and groomed her ears to normalcy, repositioning the Nevermore's mask behind her.

"Very funny." Blake sneered.

Yang halted her laughter, her head falling to the side and her cheek landing flat against the stone. "Yeah..."

Suddenly, she fell unconscious again, a ball of spit dripping down her lip.

"I think she's fine." Blake said. "But, someone's got to carry them back."

"Here," Jaune said, "I'll carry Ruby. It's the least I can do." he walked over and picked Ruby up, hoisting her over his shoulder as comfortably as possible. "Y'know, these two really like to get into trouble, don't they?"

"I guess so." Blake reached down, grabbing Yang from the ground with one arm, and carrying her from the waist, her head and hair hanging downward. "I've got this one. She's my teammate after all."

"Are you sure?' Jaune asked.

Pyrrha placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder, and he turned to find her smiling, "She's a Faunus, Jaune. She has the strength for it. You've done enough. I think We've all done enough today."

Weiss sheathed Myrtenaster under he belt, making her way back to the other side of the bridge, "I just want to get back to Beacon. I hope they have nice showers. A Schnee never settles for less."

Ren and Nora followed the Ice Queen, while Jaune looked down with disappointment, "Well, Pyrrha, it looks like team Jaune wasn't best for you after all."

Pyrrha clenched her fist to her chest and asked, "Why?"

"We never found those artifacts. I guess...we're not making it into Beacon."

"Under you." Blake said from behind them, pointing at their feet. "Take them."

Jaune and Pyrrha looked down, a piece of Yang's leather hip trim lying near them. Pyrrha bent down and grabbed it, hearing two objects inside of the pocket on its side. When she opened it and looked within, her eyes widened; she presented its contents to Jaune, revealing two chess pieces inside. The Pride of Mistral grabbed the Black Queen and Jaune took the White Bishop.

"But...how?" Jaune asked, both of them startled.

"Yang picked them up." Blake walked by them, Yang still in her arms, effortlessly carrying the Nevermore trophy over her back.

They followed her, confusion still on their faces.

"She...got these for us?" Pyrrha asked in bewilderment. "But, doesn't that break the rules."

Blake replied, "Eh, take it or leave it, its your call. Ruby and Weiss forgot them, too. They probably forgot about them with all this mess. I grabbed a few, so no worries; the more the merrier."

Pyrrha and Jaune smiled, feeling hope for their aspirations as Hunters of Vale.

"That attack was amazing!" said Nora, walking next to Weiss. "You've gotta make have a cool name for it. Oh, I know! Weiss and Ruby Strike! Oh no, that's kind of a mouthful. How about, White Rose Storm?"

Weiss replied. "I'd rather not think about it."

Ren joined, "We still have to get past the gap in the bridge, and there's probably still Grimm in the forest."

Weiss replied, "Whatever...we'll figure it out."

….

In the Forever Fall Forest, the Branwen sisters fought ferociously, trading punches, shoving each other into the trees in a bloody Grove Match that had lasted for nearly an hour. Cinder charged at Raven with her shoulder, bashing her back against a trunk, only for the Chieftan to reply with an elbow strike. Then, Raven shoved her away, blood dripping from her many injuries, Cinder's rage growing. The battle seemed to have no end.

"I'll Kill You!" Cinder screamed, Grimmsang leaking from her wounds, flowing over her left arm, her arm transforming into a Grimmclaw.

"Resorting to cheap tricks already?" Raven mocked, pulling her necklace chain so that the plated ornament rested over her chest. "I thought you were a real Branwen? All you have to do is make me fall to the ground, sister; can't even do that with your new power?"

Raven lunged at Cinder, kneeling into a slide against the dry leaves as her Grimmbound sibling slashed her sharp fingers. She locked her arm around Cinder's legs, using the other to push her forward, forcing her to trip. Though surprised, Cinder allowed herself into free fall, leaning her head back and landing on her hands, flipping backward and returning to her feet in a wide stance.

"What's wrong Cinder?" Raven mocked again. "If you're as powerful as you say, then go ahead, give me all you've got!"

"Be quiet!" Cinder jumped forward, slashing her Grimmclaw into Raven's cheek, leaving deep cuts on Raven's face as she leaned her head back.

The Chieftan grabbed her sister's Grimmclaw, pulling it to the side and replying with an elbow strike to Cinder's head. As the Grimmfiend sibling stumbled back, narrowly avoiding another fall, she smiled, and began to laugh.

"It is funny, isn't it sister?" Raven stood with her arms spread and her palms open, grinning. "After all of your talk, you still haven't bested me. I'm not even using all of my Aura, and here I am, still standing. You know why that is?"

Cinder postured herself, Grimmsang crawling over her body, consuming her slowly.

Raven continued, "It's because you haven't really changed. Even with all of this power, I know you're holding back. You never were a fighter like Qrow and I. No matter what that Witch has done to you, she can't change who you are." Raven laughed, her eyes glowing with a red Aura. "The Grimm inside you, I'll find a way to kill it."

"Shut up!" Cinder screamed, her brows raised and her nose flared as she pushed her Grimmclaw outward, a stream of Grimmsang flowing toward Raven, her arms behaving like a whip with her deadly claws reaching outward.

Raven was taken by surprise, twisting her foot and spinning to the side, barely avoiding the fatal strike. The Grimmclaw crashed into a nearby tree, and Cinder retracted it back to her body, returning it to its normal size.

"Sister..." Cinder said coyly, Raven looking back at her as she held a single finger on her Grimm arm up and beside her head. "Look what I've found."

Dangling from her hand was Raven's necklace, the golden plate swaying to and fro.

Raven smiled with her head down as she loosened her stance, grimacing, "I would say that you were lucky," Raven chuckled, "but I'm sure you understand the irony." she lifted her head, shaking her hand clean of blood. "Go ahead...open it."

Cinder removed the necklace from her Grimmclaw, looking down at the golden plate and scowling, "This gold is fake."

Raven replied, "Of course it is, like everything in this city. I stole it from some womanizing chump. It's what's inside that counts. Go ahead, open it, and see your demise."

Cinder pressed her fingernail against the cheap round latch on the side, sliding the small door open, shock overcoming her when she discovered what was within. She was stunned, a look of horror on her face.

"I knew it." Raven said, watching Cinder's arms begin to shake, the Grimmsang on her body falling down into the leaves. "I knew you were still in there."

Cinder's heart stopped, her eyes swelling with tears. Inside of the necklace was a simple photograph of a woman, taken not long ago. Her black hair was tied into a loose bun, the color of crimson at the ends. Her eyes were silver, just like Ruby's. She wore a linen cape around her neck, beige on the outside and red within, and a gorgeous long dress tied with leather straps at the front. In the photograph, she waved with her head turned back, smiling against a river in the background, several animals grazing and roaming behind her. Her face was unmistakable: it was Summer Rose, her sister, and the Branwen children's second mother.

Raven stepped away, unsheathing her sword, "If she were here, I know she'd forgive you." she slashed her sword through the air, opening a portal before her. "I've seen enough. This fight is done."

Cinder fell to her knees, holding the locket to her chest with her head down, her hair covering her face as she wept.

Raven looked back at her, her eyes furrowed, "When she granted your wish, she couldn't have known about Ruby. The Witch has every reason to fear her." She took a step toward into the portal, stopping for a moment when she placed one foot within. "If you could, you would've killed her by now, if you really wanted to. If I didn't have even the smallest hope for you, I would have ended it today."

Cinder fell forward, her forehead buried in the leaves, her weeping growing louder.

"Still, I won't put my daughters' lives on the line. When we see each other again, maybe luck will be on your side. I'm sorry, that I couldn't be a better sister to you." Suddenly, her voice cracked as she spoke. "What you did for us...was foolish...but, I could never repay it, even in a lifetime. It never had to be this way."

Raven shook her head, entering the portal, leaving her articles behind.

"Farewell."

She disappeared into space, Cinder left alone in the forest on her knees, trying to collect herself.

Then, she screamed, lifting herself up to her feet, her cheeks splitting at the sides and her jaw opening wide, exposing black fangs, her tongue protruding out with blood embracing it. Her cry deepened, imitating the sound of an angry Ursa. The forest seemed to shake before her shriek.

Then, she stopped, her flesh returning to normal as she let her head down, staring at the open locket as it dangled from her fingers.

"I'll show you!" she said under breathe.

She pulled the necklace over her shoulder, attempting to throw it away; but, her hand stopped, and she could not bring herself to do it. Groaning with frustration, she closed her eyes, grasping the locket between her fingers, more tears flowing from her eyes.

"I'll show you!"

In an act of instinct, she held the locket over her head, dropping it down her throat, swallowing it whole. Her Grimm tongue licked her lips, and she leaned forward, clenching her fists, flames quickly surrounding her as the emblem of the Fall Maiden appeared over chest.

"RAVEN!"

.

.

.

.

"...Cinder..."

A woman's voice echoed in the forest.

Cinder's explosive fit suddenly ceased.

She straightened her back, her tears drying, gazing into nothing.

"...You've disobeyed me..."

Cinder grinned, closing her eyes, "I was waiting, Majesty."

The voice laughed lightly, and playfully.

"...You and I have much to discuss. I can't have you wandering these lands, doing as you please. Shall I return you to Dust...?"

A puddle of Grimmsang appeared below her, red tendrils with steel spikes attached to the tips rising from it, wrapping themselves around her limbs. They began to pull her downward, her body sinking into the Darkness. Yet, she gave no resistance.

"I will do as you wish, Majesty."

The jaws of a Grimm enveloped her being, pulling her down into Remnant, until there was nothing left of her. The Grimmsang faded away, leaving the Forever Fall Forest to a solemn wind.


	17. RWBY

There was only darkness, as black as her hair, and deeper than her heart's void. Her eyes were shut, her body bare, immersed in an eternal pool of Grimmsang, lungs filled with shadow. In that place, there were no voices, there was no motion; only the whisper of the waves, the blood of the Gods. Yet, as Cinder opened her eyes, amber light flowing from her irises, she swore she saw someone. It was only a mirror, or at least it appeared to be so. In the reflection was herself, although it was not quite so. Certainly, it was her, yet different in the most subtle ways. Gone was the lust for power in her gaze, her expression laced with the warmth of empathy, as bright as the golden streaks of her dress. Identical in almost every way, yet she seemed as different as the shattered moon to the sun. She stared at each other, unable to breathe, unable to move.

"Ruby..." Whispered Cinder Fall.

"Yang..." replied Cinder of the mirror.

Then, in an instant, the Fall felt something, that which she shared with the mirror woman; she began to cry.

"...Dear Cinder..."

A voice called out within the void, echoing as if the the shadows were an empty sky.

"...You disappoint me, and yet..."

The mirror shattered into pieces, the woman on the other side groaning, stepping away in fear as she screamed with her hands pressed to her eyes. The mirror turned to shards, the shards turned to pieces, until the pieces turned into shadow, leaving behind only the darkness.

"...you fascinate me..."

The current of the Dark shifted, her hair swaying alongside it, until her body was thrown into a spiral, rising in the pool. As helpless as the seed of a dandelion caught in a breeze, she twisted and turned, until she reached a faint light above. Soon, she splashed up through the surface of the Darkness, floating in the Grimmsang. She coughed, emptying her lungs of shadow, her eyes shut as she reached her arms outward, feeling a Dust surface, digging her nails in and pulling herself toward it. As blood leaked through the cracks of her teeth and she crossed her arms over the edge, her eyes slowly opened, greeted with the sight of a long, black dress, dragged into the Dust, yet clean as if newly sewed.

"...You've disobeyed my orders..."

The woman's voice was soothing.

Cinder coughed out the last of the Grimmsang in her lungs, keeping her head down as she pulled herself up from the pool of Darkness.

"...but, I cannot condone you for it...You are, after all, my favorite subject...So, tell me Corvid princess...Is it your desire to remain in Vale..?"

A sense of satisfaction overcame Cinder, grinning at the offer.

….

"Owie owie ooooo." Ruby knelt down, pushing her finger into her boots, rubbing a bruise on her leg.

She was within Beacon's Auditorium, surrounded by the same body of entry students as before. This time, the room of brightly lit, voices echoing in all directions with anticipation, an atmosphere separated from the anxiety of Orientation. There were tables around the room strewn with snacks, the likes of which could satisfy the tastes of all Kingdoms, going so far as to satisfy even the Faunus' tongue. The students of Vacuo held candles, those of Mistral drank a special brew of non-alcoholic spirits, and the ones of Atlas shook hands with nearly every stranger they could find. Even the newly accepted Faunus of the academy appeared to drop all worries. The excitement was plentiful, yet none of it seemed to reach Ruby.

"Where is she?" she stood up, looking around as she adjusted her bow tie. "Yang..." she looked down at her newly acquired school uniform, one that she was gifted to her during her visit to the infirmary. The outfit consisted of a red plaid skirt with long stockings, a brown vest with gold trim, and a white shirt with a red ribbon tied around the collar, although hers was tied haphazardly. "Oh, this thing..!" she tugged on the collar under her red cloak, uncomfortable with the fit around her neck. "Itchy."

The crowd seemed to blend together with the decorations in the room, and their voices welcomed a headache. She felt uncomfortable without her Crescent Rose, which she stored in the Locker Room before arriving. As she glanced around once again, the silhouettes of everyone began to blur, becoming indistinguishable from the lights and the walls. As was usual for her, they were like ghosts, roaming about in an empty world, otherwise filled with silence, stirred with unfamiliarity and ringing tones.

"What are you complaining about?" she heard her sister's voice behind her.

Ruby turned with a glowing smile, her hands clasped together and her eyes glittering, "Yang!"

She was startled, finding Yang with her arms hanging loosely, her expression at the mercy of gravity as she frowned. The dragon girl wore a blue sundress with lilac patterns on it. The dress was too short for her height, and did little to match her brown boots. Suddenly, Ruby began to laugh, snorting on occasion as she placed her hands on her chest and bowed forward with her eyes closed, tears dripping from her cheeks.

"Yang!" she struggled to speak through her chuckling, looking up and through her feathered hair. "You look so..."

"Don't be a Butt Thorn..." Yang stepped forward, rolling her eyes.

Ruby's laughter began to settle. "I've just never seen you look so -"

"Stupid?" Yang stopped next to her, facing the Auditorium's stage.

"Pretty!" Ruby turned around in the same direction, rubbing her cheeks clean of water. "I like the flowers."

Yang sighed, "They didn't have a spare uniform, so the nurse gave me her old dress. Blue is not my color." She wrapped her arm around Ruby's shoulder, pulling her closer, glancing at her back. "How's the cut? It wasn't too bad was it?"

Ruby scratched her head, "It stings a little, but its just a scratch."

Yang giggled, "Now, I'm worried. Remember when you used to bump your toes on that root outside of mom's tent? Aunty would use a whole bottle of lavender oil just to get you stop crying."

"Yeah," Ruby looked down at the floor, Yang retracting her arm from her shoulders, "well, I'm not a baby anymore."

"Did I just hear my little sis say she's growing up?"

Ruby giggled, "Maybe."

Together, they gazed up at the stage, where Headmaster Ozpin and Headmistress Goodwitch stood at the back, three large monitors hovered on the wall behind them, the screens switched off. A single podium with a microphone remained empty at the front, with lights surrounding it in preparation for an address.

Yang looked at her sister with a big smile, then dug her knuckles into her face, gently twisting her cheek fat, "Guess that means I don't need to make a glass of milk for you every morning anymore, huh?"

"Hey, I like milk!" Ruby replied, slowly pushing her sisters arm down as she pouted, failing to hide her cheerful grin.

Yang crossed her arms behind her neck, stretching her back and cracking her elbows as she pulled her wrists, "Some things never change."

Suddenly Ruby's mood turned, sullenness overcoming her with a droopy frown, "Except for everything."

Yang smirked, furrowing her brows, "Hey, I promise things will get better soon."

"I don't like it here, Yang." she looked up at her sister's eyes, nearly crying. "I thought I could be a tough girl like you, but, I don't know anymore. I just want to go home."

"Sis..." Yang said, taking a step back, "you know its not safe."

"I want to go to the islands." Ruby whined, crossing her arms and turning away from Yang with her head down, keeping her tears away. "I don't belong here. I miss the trees, and goats, and the flowers, and...I miss mom."

An awkward silence fell upon them, Yang unsure of how to help as she too began to feel homesick.

"Ruby, we have to stay." Yang spoke lightly, almost whispering. "I know its hard. There has to be something that will make you feel better?"

Ruby turned her head, closing her eyes, "I don't think I can ever feel better. The city is so weird, and there's nowhere to go, its always loud. There's nothing here that makes me feel better. Even with all these new friends, I don't think there's anyone that -"

"If it isn't Dolt and her sister Hot-Head!" She heard Weiss beside her, in her usual demeanor.

"Crabby!" Ruby's mood changed, facing her teammate with a big smile.

Weiss still wore her white dress with embroidered snow flake patterns at the seams, but she had since washed it clean of the mud from the battle at the ruined temple. Her hair was freshly straightened, tied into a bun ponytail with a shiny silver tiara pin holding it. On her earlobes were crystal snowflake earrings with red jewels at the ends. She was dressed properly for the ceremony, and as a representative of the Schnee Dust Company.

"What did you call me?" she replied shrilly.

Ruby darted toward her, standing in front her with a blush as she held her hands behind her back, "Thank you so much!"

Weiss raised a brow, her fingers pinched against her collarbone, "What are you thanking me for?"

Yang walked up to them, joining the conversation, "Blake filled me in. She said that sis fell into the canyon, knocked out. I thought you rescued her?"

Weiss shrugged, "Well, of course! As the obvious leader of the team, its my duty to rescue my teammates when they need it."

Yang chuckled, "I guess so. Thanks for looking after sis, Weiss."

Weiss placed her back of her hands to her hips, turning aside and avoiding eye contact.

"You're so cool." Ruby said, swinging her arms back and forth.

Weiss glanced at the younger Branwen girl, "Really." she dropped her usual professional composure, easing her stance as she pushed her hip to one side with her palm to her waist, her nostrils flaring a bit as she cocked a brow. "Why?"

Ruby's eyes glowed as she placed her hands on to cheeks and answered, "You're such a good leader. You came to rescue me when I fell down, you protected me when I couldn't see, and your plan where we used our Semblances together, that was incredible! It was your attack that finished the fight. You really are a great leader."

Weiss rubbed her arm, awkwardly thinking of how to respond, "I guess...you're right."

Yang added, "I didn't see it, but I heard it was pretty spectacular."

Weiss blushed a bit, kicking the floor with her heel, "Well, I couldn't have done it without your help...partner." she gave a smile to her teammate.

Ruby placed her feet together, saluting, "At your service!"

Weiss gave a proud smile, "Always a Schnee's job to look after the little guys."

"I wouldn't say you have a good record for doing that."

Blake Belladonna walked out of the crowd, crossing her arms and she joined them. Her tail was hidden beneath her overskirt, and she wore a new black vest over her white crop shirt that had longer coattails than before. Her stockings were refreshed with a deeper hue of violet, and with warmer wool.

"Excuse me!" Weiss grew furious at the insult. "Those cat ears of yours must not be work too well, otherwise, you would've heard that I'm the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company!"

Blake smirked, "Yeah, and what about it?"

"My Dad's company is generous enough to employ you animals, and you're still ungrateful!"

"You deserve anything you get." Blake replied, holding her palm open in front of her. "You say you support our cause, then mistreat us and send us to the mines."

Ruby tried to mitigate the argument, "Hey, guys, can save it."

Weiss leaned forward, her eyes squinting, "Aren't you so righteous. Complaining about working conditions that 'you' sign up for. Then you vandalize our property, and you think that only hurts the company." Weiss huffed again, turning her back to Blake. "You're just asking for a handout, like all of the lazy bums in Mantle."

Yang interrupted, her hands up in the air as she heard startled by their words, "Okay, let's not get kicked out of the academy before the ceremony."

Blake angered, revealing her claws, showing her fangs as her ears rose high, "You think we're lazy, asking for handouts? What about the deaths you brush under the rug? What about the promises you made to the Survivors, unpaid?"

Weiss turned around, and they gazed at each other with hatred, fists clenched and feet ready for an attack.

Yang tried again to calm them, "Can you guys settle this later? Your not on each other's team anyway. By the Gods, you probably won't even see each other again after this."

Reluctantly, they backed away from each other, letting their emotions simmer down.

"She's right." said Blake, swiping her hand through her hair.

"Conveniently." Weiss said with a pout.

Blake approached Yang and stood by her side, watching as Weiss walked to the other Branwen girl.

Blake finally turned away, looking back at the stage, where Ozpin stood behind the podium, appearing ready to give his speech, "I just want these pairings to be done with."

Yang faced the stage as well, "Pairings?"

Weiss and Ruby glanced at the stage, the Ice Queen replying, "Hunter teams are assigned in fours."

"I remember mom talking about that." Ruby said.

Yang finished, "I know she was part of a team, but she never liked talking about it much."

Blake sighed, allowing the last of her negative mood to drain, "They put us in binary pairs so they can treat us like one student each. It's different every year, but that's usually how it goes, at least at Haven Academy."

"Wait, you were a student at Haven?" Yang asked.

"No," Blake nodded, "but Menagerie's close by, so you learn these things."

"Attention freshmen!" Glynda took over the microphone, quieting the Auditorium, over a hundred would-be Hunters giving their attention. "The headmaster will address you now."

"I'm anxious." Ruby muttered.

Weiss replied with a whisper, "Quiet, dolt."

Ozpin approached the microphone, Glynda stepping to his side as he placed his scroll on the podium and silence fell upon the Auditorium.

"I would like to thank all of you for your efforts." Ozpin spoke with the utmost formality as he usually did. "It has been an honor that you've come here today, to face the challenge of a better world, to uphold the values of the Hunter's Spirit, which serves to defend the Light of humanity from the Darkness outside of these walls. Some of you are close to home, while other's have traveled far, some spanning oceans, to this Shining Beacon. It is for these reasons that it pains me tell all of you an unfortunate truth."

Whispers began to erupt from the freshmen body.

"In these troubling times, His Majesty has enacted new regulations, both to benefit the financial integrity of the kingdom, and to ensure that only the best of the best Hunters of this academy can be given the resources necessary to defend these walls for our future. This is why only the top performing seventy percent during Initiation will remain in these walls today."

The tension in the room began to rise, and more voices were raised in uncertainty.

"This may come as a surprise to many of you, but His Majesty's law is absolute. As for your performance, it is something that is judged differently each year. In this case, you were assigned to obtain an artifact, which you have found was no more than chess piece. You and your partners will be judged as a single individual, and paired into teams of four based not only on your scores, but for the artifacts that you chose. This is to enforce not only the importance of teamwork, but to ensure the best compatibility for your team. How these scores are judged is a secret kept only by the highest levels at this Academy."

He placed his hand on the rails of the podium, the spotlights catching his presence elegantly.

"The Head Mistress call your representative names and teams on the elimination list. Out of respect for each individual's reputation, there will be no explanation given for your candidacy. Good luck."

As he stepped back from the podium and Ms. Goodwitch took his place, the students raised their voices, some of them protesting vehemently.

"This is bullshit!" someone shouted from the crowd.

"There will be no disorder in these halls." she said into the microphone.

The Valiant guards surrounding the Auditorium prepared for the worst, holding their Dust infused batons ready for action, some of them tapping the students' shoulders and backs with their weapons as a warning.

Ms. Goodwitch cleared her throat, the room quieting, and all listened.

"I will begin the elimination list. All of those individuals and teams named hereinafter are advised to leave campus as soon as possible once all names are called. We begin! Roux Mayberry and Olive Jay of team RO (Roe)..."

The students could hear the team gasp in shock from middle of the Auditorium.

"...Coral Vagabond and Dove Spear of team CD (Cad) ..."

In minutes, she exhausted the list, an exact thirty percent of the students eliminated, without any explanation or chance to defend themselves.

"We ask you to use the main doors to exit the Auditorium. We wish you luck on your future endeavors. Those of you who passed the entry exam, know that if you should choose to apply to Beacon Academy again next year, your scores will be reserved your reentry. Thank you."

She bowed, stepping away from the podium. Though some of the students walked toward the exit with their heads down, others in disbelief, some remained behind, pushing through the student body with violence and approaching the stage.

"You bitch!" screamed one student, shoving others to the side. "I lost my brother coming here! You think this was easy? I passed your stupid tests, and now you're just gonna throw me to the wayside?!"

Another joined, "Fuck Off!" the student threw a glass bottle at the stage toward Ozpin as he walked up to the podium. The headmaster caught it in the air with one hand, as if it were nothing.

Then, the Valiant guards at the upper floor surrounding the Auditorium aimed their Dust rifles down at the unruly students, stopping them in their tracks when the red beams from their sights touched their heads.

Ozpin adjusted his glasses, and set the bottle gently onto the floor behind the podium, before returning to the microphone, "I understand your frustration, but it is important to remember His Majesty's law exist to protects us, and that you a free to return again next year. Please," he gestured toward the door at the back of the Auditorium with his hand. "see yourselves out. An escort will guide you if needed."

With little choice that would not result in their likely deaths, the protesting students reluctantly joined their counterparts outside of the auditorium, some in tears while, others angry. Soon, they were gone, leaving behind a somber air that left the room with an awkward feeling.

"That's terrible..." Ruby whispered, her hand over her chest.

"This is worse than mom said." Yang added. "But, at least we're not on the chopping block."

"Let's move on to more positive formalities, shall we?" Ozpin continued on stage, a grin on his face. "Headmistress?"

Glynda bowed, then approached the podium, grabbing a remote controller and returning to the back of the stage. She pressed a single button, switching the monitors on to reveal an array of students on one screen, a set of four empty blocks on another, and the third with a large blank line.

"It is traditional to pair Hunters into groups of four. Today, you will be paired with your permanent teams, of which you will have one assigned leader. This leader will be elected on the grounds of their scores during Initiation, and the leadership qualities that these scores entail. Your leader will be the forefront of your team, your representative, the icon which all other Hunters within your ranks and above them will look to for guidance when critical decisions are to be made."

Weiss smiled, her arms crossed as she glanced at Ruby, "I think we know who fits that role the best."

"We will call you to the stage, commemorating your efforts at Initiation and displaying your members and new names on the monitors. We will begin."

The somber air was replaced with anxiousness, some students jumping with excitement.

"Our first pairing today is team Cardin Winchester and Russel Thrush of team WT (White), and Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark of team DL (Dole)!"

The audience clapped as the members of the called teams were displayed on the left monitor. Cardin, a male student of strong and tall stature with umber hair and iron armor, led the way to the stage, waving at the students with a confident smile. The teams walked up to Ozpin, who looked down at his scroll.

"Though team WT and team DL never crossed paths in Emerald Forest, their qualities as Huntsmen are unquestionably in sync to one another. Both Sky and Cardin were the fastest teams to arrive back to Beacon Cliff, with similarly chosen artifacts in their possession. Each of them fought bravely to defend their teammates, often putting themselves in harm's way in the process. It is for this reason that I declare you, team CRDL (Cardinal)."

The students cheered with more energy, as the letters C-R-D-L appeared on the right monitor at the back of the stage.

"Based on your test scores, your assigned team leader is, Cardin Winchester, for his bravery on the field and quick tactical thinking."

The students yelled, whistled, and gave congratulatory words as team CRDL grinned with satisfaction.

"May you become a Shining Beacon of hope for humanity." Ozpin gestured them to the rightmost stairway leading back to floor, and the team new cordially exited the stage, the monitors cleared for another call. "Our next team..."

The ceremony filled the hearts of all in the audience with dream-like joy as the Headmaster called upon more teams, each of them entering the stage with their own, unique dramatic flair.

"Team DASH (Dash)!" he named one.

"Team WLDE (Wild)!" he named another.

Soon, nearly all teams had been assigned.

"Oh man, why hasn't he called us up yet?" Jaune said within the audience, in a panic.

Pyrrha stood next to him, reassuring, "Don't worry, Jaune. I'm sure we're just last on the list."

Ms. Goodwitch stepped up to the podium, looking down at Ozpin's scroll, carefully observing something, before he approached microphone and announced, "There are only four binary teams left to assign. Today, these students will be given a special commemoration for their extraordinary actions on the field."

"Wait..." Weiss said.

Yang looked at Blake and said, "...We haven't been called yet..."

Blake replied, "...could it be..."

Ruby finished with, "I'm thirsty."

Ozpin stepped away from the podium, grabbing a cordless microphone from behind it and allowing Glynda to take front stage.

She addressed the body, "Will the following teams please join the stage: Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie of team RN (Ren), Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos of team JN (Jaune), Yang Long and Blake Belladonna of team BY (Bee), and Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee of team RS (Rose)."

Nora Valkyrie blinked with widened eyes as she looked at her boyfriend, Ren, and pointed at her face, "We're...getting special commemorations?"

"I guess so." Ren smiled, stepping forward. "Come on, let's show them the legacy of Kuroyuri."

"Right on!" she chased after him, chuckling.

The teams approached the stage, each member staying near each other. Ruby Rose blushed, anxious with so many eyes set upon her. Weiss practically pranced before the audience, proud to represent the Schnee name. Yang and Blake both crossed their arms, eager to end the upheaval of the ceremony as quickly as possible. Jaune scratched his head, standing closest to Ms. Goodwitch, Pyrrah patting him on the shoulder with a smile of comfort. Finaly, Ren and Nora stood closest to one another, the lighting girl managing to catch a hug from her beloved before the speech continued.

The students shouted the name of Mistral's Pride, "Pyrrha! Pyrrha! Pyrrha!"

The crowd grew louder, the teams and their names displayed on the monitors with a different array than before. Ozpin stayed to the side of the stage, allowing the students to maintain center with all eyes upon them.

Ozpin continued, "When team RN arrived in the field, their focus was set upon one another. Lie Ren wasted no time in finding his teammate by choice, his beloved, Nora Valkyrie."

Some of the audience let out a collective aw in reverence.

Ozpin slowly paced about the stage, "They encountered Grimm along the way, easily destroying their enemies with teamwork fashioned from years of their partnership. They may not have finished their task with the greatest speed, but did so with unquestionable resolve and carefulness. Team JN, however, lost their way when they arrived on the field, taking a detour from the path. They encountered a deadly Death Stalker. The Grimm took Jaune captive, and when Pyrrha's efforts to rescue him failed, she charged into the forest for her fellow Hunterss aid. All the while, teams RN and BY collected the artifacts, breaking the rules by taking more than just one for their person."

Some of the audience gasped, but many of them stayed in high spirits.

"Of course, this would normally expel them from the Academy, even if they did so with other students in mind; but, it seems time gave them little choice, as a giant Nevermore, whose size contested even those spoken of in legends, attacked the students of team RS. Eventually, these teams met on the field, putting their own safety aside, setting out on a rescue mission, chasing the Nevermore to the ruins of Beacon Canyon. That was where their test began, and it was there that they showed the highest courage, each of them fighting selflessly for one another in their own way. Against all odds, against all reason, they defeated not only the Death Stalker, but also the Nevermore. If not for each of their contributions and extraordinary teamwork, they would not be here on this stage. And so, it is with great honor that we unite these freshmen, and welcome them to this prestigious school."

The room fell silent as Glynda walked up to Ozpin's side, looking down at his scroll, reviewing their decision.

Ruby was tense, knocking her heels together, Weiss and her sister close, "Oh Gods, I'm going to be Huntress, I'm going to be Huntress, I'm going to be Huntress. Mhm!"

"What's gotten into her?" Weiss asked, looking at Yang.

Yang smiled, adjusting her sun dress, "She's dreamed of being a Huntress since...as far back as I can remember really."

Ruby muttered words as she moved up and down, bending her knees, "This is so cool but I'm scared they're all looking at us. ThisisawesomeIloveitbutIdon'tknowwhattodowithmyselfrightnowwhatdoyouthinkWeissI'mstillthirsty."

Weiss sighed.

Ozpin announced with elation, "Team JN and RN are now team JNPR (Juniper), with Jaune Arc assigned as leader. Congratulations!"

The audience cheered, the monitors displaying their names with digitized confetti around them.

Jaune leaned forward with disbelief, his jaw loose and his eyes widened. "Really! I'm...the leader?"

Ren patted his back, "You earned it friend."

Nora jumped up an down around him, "Whohoo! Vomit Boy's got it!"

Pyrrha smiled, opening her arms and nearly hugging him, before pulling herself away with her hands behind her back, "You did it, Jaune! I'm so happy to be on your team!"

"I...I...I..." Jaune shook his head, before finally raising his hand high with a big grin, "You bet!" he laughed. "We did it! We really did it!"

Ozpin allowed them to remain on stage, looking down at his scroll as the cheering began to settle. Glynda observed his screen, where she found something peculiar. The member's of team RS and BY were listed together, ready for paring in the system, yet he had not finalized their name. Yang and Weiss were listed as the more likely candidates for leadership, with Ruby being the lowest on the list. Then, in a single action that shocked her, she watched him swipe his finger over the screen, shifting not only the students' scores away, but changing Ruby Rose to the highest candidate of leadership.

Glynda gasped, and whispered, "Sir!"

Then, Ozpin spoke into the microphone, "Team RS and BY are now team RWBY (Ruby), with Ruby Rose assigned as leader. Congratulations!"

"What!?" Weiss yelled in shock. "We're on, the same team?!"

The crowd cheered, though some kept their hands and voices down due to a Faunus being on stage, next to some who recognized two as Branwens.

Ruby's emotions overflowed, "I'm a Huntress!"

The monitors at the back of the stage showed their faces and names, digitized confetti once again falling over them.

Yang waved at the crowd, then walked toward her sister, hugging her around the shoulders, "You earned it sis."

Ruby squeezed Yang tightly, lifting her from the ground, then quickly placing her back to her feet, "I'm the leader!"

Yang caught her breath, "You're tougher than you look."

Weiss was still dumbfounded, "But, I'm a Schnee. How could..?"

Blake kept her eyes away from the crowd, still smiling as she welcomed the celebration. "Guess that's that."

Ruby held her arms close together, kicking her feet on the stage and running in circles, "I'm a Huntress! I'm a Huntress!"

Weiss watched her in confusion as she tripped over her cape several times, rolling back to her feet and waving aimlessly around the stage, "How did a dolt like her..."

Ruby hugged Weiss from the back, "We did it, Weiss! We're gonna be the bestest friends! I'll be the best leader ever!" she ran over to her sister, who waved at the crowd with pride, jumping over her back and hanging onto her. "Yang! Can you believe it?"

Yang chuckled, "I'm not the least bit surprised."

"I'm a Huntress!"

The audience couldn't help but share her energy.

Ozpin made his final announcement, despite the excessive noise, "Celebrate as long as you wish. Snacks will be available in the room for the next few hours. When you are finished, you will check your scrolls and find your assigned Student Hall and dormitory numbers. In the following days, you will be informed of where and when to sign for classes, your duties and so forth. All students will receive a stipend of 500 Lien weekly. Classes will begin next week. I wish you all the best of luck."

Team JNPR and team RWBY united on stage, granting their blessings to one another, all but Blake sharing the moment. For everyone, it was a new beginning, for the future Hunters of Beacon Academy, it was a fairy tale come true.


	18. A New Beginning

In a darkly lit room, with only a warm desk lamp resting between them, Roman Torchwick sat in a metal chair with his leg crossed over the other, examining five poker cards in his hand, bouncing his heel against his knee. On the opposite side of the table, was his partner, Neopolitan, who brushed her index finger along the edges of a set of cards in her hand, hiding their faces from her opponent. The two of them were nestled somewhere in the slums of Vale, with only each other's company, enjoying a small game away from usual business.

"Okay, give me your threes!" Roman snapped his fingers, a smug grin on his face as he glared at his partner in crime.

Neo grinned in return, stopping her finger over the center card in her hand, pulling it up from the set, and turning its face to reveal a three of clubs.

Roman laughed, pushing his chair back and kicking his foot up onto the table, "I told you, I'm unstoppable!" he held his palm open and gestured for her to surrender her card.

Neo gently tossed her three of clubs over to him, the card spinning on the table before Roman removed three other cards of the same rank from his hand and slapped them down against it, "First Book!" He removed an alloy tin from his coat pocket, opening it to a set of four cigars. He took one of them and placed it to his lips. "Shit, I think I left my lighter on the desk. Got a match?" he asked, placing the container back in his pocket.

Neo set her hand face down on the table, then reached under her white cropped jacket to remove a match box from her bosom. With one hand, she opened the box, pulling and striking a match between her fingers. With a gentle flame on the stick, she leaned forward, lighting his cigar before placing the match box back in place.

"You're a doll, did'ya know that?" he said, Neo snatching her cards and returning a perturbed smirk. "C'mon, I'm joking, I'm joking." he paused for a moment, before throwing his arms in the air and giggling lightly. "Show me your aces!"

Neo smiled and shook her head.

Roman dragged his cigar, his head tilted back and as he smirked, "You're kidding?" he waited for his foe to admit her bluff, but she maintained her cocky grin while gently waving her cards.

He grimaced over his cigar, reaching for the deck of cards at the middle of the table and drawing from the top, "Fished again." he stared at the hidden face of the card, studying it for a moment, before glancing back at Neo, who seemed to mock him in his obvious failed luck. "Son of a bitch."

Suddenly, they heard creaking metal. A door steps away from them opened, light seeping into the darkness as shadowy figures conversed on the other side. After an indiscernible exchange of words from the other room, one of the figures walked inside, approaching their table with a confident stride, interrupting the game. Just as the metal door was closed, the figure's face became apparent against the lamplight, his dark facial hair immediately recognizable.

"Junior!" said Roman, sounding content for a reunion. "I was wondering when you'd show up. I heard you were restructuring your business."

"Cut the bullshit, Roman." Junior angered. "You know why I'm here."

Neo placed her cards face down on the table, reaching under her chair and grabbing her pink parasol, proceeding to clean dust from it while appreciating the fine details of its fine patterns.

Roman smiled, "Whatever do you mean, old chap?"

Junior reached over the table, grabbing him by the collar of his coat and pulling him forward, "My business is in shambles thanks to you. The little Branwen bitch blew my operation to bits. Milita and Melanie are missing, and my ranks are down to nothing thanks to you!"

"Junior, I'm shocked." Roman frowned, staring directly into his eyes. "I never knew you felt that way about me."

Junior shoved Roman back into his chair, regaining composure, "I should've known not do business with a clown like you. If I had just trusted my senses..."

Roman fixed the wrinkles on his coat, his attitude shifting from amused to distraught, "Would you stop with the finger pointing. Everyone says, Roman this, Roman that! You knew the risks when you joined the operation. Guns and manpower in exchange for a piece of the action! It's not my job to look after your property."

Junior stared at him with resentment for a while as Roman leaned back in his chair, "You're a real piece of work Roman. I don't know who this new client you're working for is, but I'll tell you this: they're no good. I'd kill you myself, but in the end," Roman returned a furious glance to him, "you'll end up dead before you know it anyway."

A moment of silence overcame them.

"I've got a ship waiting for me out east." he continued as turned away from the table. "Goodbye, Roman. We'll see how long you can keep your head attached in this mess."

As Junior was about to leave, Roman held up his hand and clicked his tongue, "Hey, hey, hold on a moment, big guy." Junior brought his attention back to him. "I can't let this partnership end on bad terms, now can I? Neo, why don't you do the honors." he held his hand open toward his partner. "Give him a going away present."

Junior looked down at Neo, watching her caress her parasol. Suddenly, she pointed the end of it towards his head, and in moments, a deadly spike protruded from it, piercing into his neck and through his throat. She grinned with her teeth exposed as Junior brought his hands to the wound, struggling to breathe as thick blood drained down the parasol, paying homage to the weapon's name. She took joy at the sight of his suffering.

"Y...Y...ou..." Junior tried to speak through the pain.

Neo pressed a switch beneath the cover of her weapon, retracting the spike back to its home. As Junior leaned against the table and blood dripped on the surface, Neo gently placed her parasol back under her chair and picked up her cards from the table.

"Aw, c'mon, you got a mess on my poker table!" Roman yelled, watching Junior as he shook from shock. "What'ya got to say for yourself now, big guy?"

Neo clenched her fist and threw a back handed punch into Junior's nose, sending him back until her dropped to his knees and fell face down onto the concrete floor. Soon, the room was quiet once more.

"The nerve." Roman said, twirling his hand in the air. "Had enough trouble with the garbage that bitch Cinder left behind, the least we can have is a clean table, am I wrong?"

Neo grabbed a napkin from her coat pocket and wiped the blood from the table with it. Once she had finished, she looked up at Roman with her chin held down, waving the back of her cards at her opponent, encouraging him to continue their game.

"Alright, alright...we'll clean later." he said, sighing. "Okay, your turn..."

...

Weiss snoozed comfortably in her white night gown on a small bed, her body covered with a red blanket and her head resting flat against the mattress. She appeared to be in a peaceful dream, until a sudden familiar voice shouted next to her ear.

"Good morning, Weiss!" Ruby said in elation, her arms held behind her back.

Weiss leaned up from her bed in a panic, frantically looking about the room in shock, "Wh...wha...who!" she looked to her side, where she saw Ruby smiling at her and moving her shoulders left and right. "Oh...its you."

"Good morning!" the new leader of team RWBY waved, still overly excited. "Guess what day it is?'

"That's our leader for you." Weiss heard Yang's voice behind her, prompting her to look back, where she found the older Branwen girl and Blake standing near the dorm room entrance, dressed in their student outfits.

"Decorating!" Ruby rapidly moved her legs up and down, a blush over her cheeks with her eyes pinched closed in excitement.

Weiss rubbed her eyes with her palms, then stretched as she yawned, "Decorating, huh?" she slid her legs over the bed and sat at the edge. "We definitely need it." She looked around the dorm room, observing two wooden framed beds on the opposite side of her corner, alongside dusty walls and old furniture resting where previous occupants had left them. A large casement window with no curtains on a center wall complemented the obviously unused space throughout.

"Yep!" Ruby stood still, barely containing her excitement as she removed her scroll from her jacket pocket and looked at a to-do list she had made on the screen. "First we do decorating, then we go shopping again -"

Yang interrupted as she roamed about the room, cleaning the surface of the window bookshelf with her hand, "I still need a new outfit after yesterday."

Ruby continued, "- then go over the Hunter's Constitution, then we go -"

Weiss stopped her, standing up and holding her palm in front of Ruby with a frown, "Okay, okay... I get it! I still haven't recovered from the fact that a dolt like you became the leader of our team. Let's just get this over with."

"Hurray!" Ruby said as Weiss walked by her, opening a drawer that contained her student outfit, grabbing the clothes and walking toward the bathroom at the west side of the dorm. "It'll be fun!" Weiss slammed the bathroom door shut behind her.

Blake approached a set of many brown bags resting at the east corner and began rummaging through them. Inside were blankets, books, curtains, trinkets, and all sorts of materials for decorating a living space. "I guess we're lucky our stipend came so early." She removed several books from the bags, then walked toward the large window, stacking the books inside of the empty bookshelf below it. "It's not perfect, but it's something." Blake saw the front cover of a book titled Ninjas of Love, blushing a bit as she slowly placed it on the shelf so that no one noticed her sight of it.

Yang sat on a spring bed on the west side and crossed her legs, "It's small, but we can live with it. It's not the living space I'm worried about." she shrugged. "The real problem is learning to get along in it."

Weiss opened the bathroom door and glanced at her teammates. A toothbrush dangled in her mouth, and she was now dressed in her dark brown jacket and plaid long skirt. Soon, her eyes met Blake's, and disdain filled her veins. The Faunus gave a glance in return, spite filling the air like a thick fog.

"Agreed." said Weiss, watching as Blake smiled at her mockingly as she walked back to the corner bags. "Some of us are going to have to learn to act more civilized."

Blake replied while searching for knick-knacks, "At least she's aware of herself."

Weiss angered, and Blake laughed.

Ruby jumped between their boiling dispute before it grew out of control, "Guys, stop! I'm the leader, and I say no arguing." she shifted her sight between the two of them. "It says it in the Hunter's Constitution; I say, no fighting."

The Ice Queen and the cat Faunus paused as they stared at one another in discontent.

"Hey!" Ruby shouted with a pout. "No fighting."

Weiss sighed, turning her head away and distracting herself, "Fine."

Blake gave no reply, and instead sorted through decorations inside of the brown bags on the rugged floor..

"Okay!" Ruby spun around with her hands behind her back. "Let's start the mission guys!" she said with excitement as she threw her fist into the air.

Silence followed, as the rest of the team either stared at her awkwardly or continued on their tasks.

Yang changed the tone, "Uh, sis...there are four of us in here. Weiss and Blake don't come from the same place we do. Don't you think we should figure out what space is whose before we start throwing the junk we bought last night everywhere?"

Ruby placed her finger to her chin, thinking, "Whoops. Yeah, let's do that first."

Weiss sighed, "Is this how your plans always go?"

"I call dibs here!" Yang stepped up form the bed, a smile on her face as she approached the floor bags.

Blake looked back to Ruby and asked, "What side is Weiss sleeping on?"

Weiss pointed at the bed where she had slept, the red sheets still ruffled atop of it, "Obviously, that's my bed."

Blake turned away and replied, "I'll take the other side, thanks." she removed a small lamp from a bag, then migrated to the bookshelf where she placed it on top of it.

Ruby swung her arms inward, crossing them before she spreading them high above her head, "I guess we'll just put together our sides until its done. See, we can work together. let's do it!"

...

Across the hall from team RWBY's dorm room, team JNPR was minutes away from unpacking their belongings in their own space. Jaune had finished folding his clothes and unpacking them into the top drawer of a large wooden dresser near the yellow entrance door, while Pyrrha sat on her bed thinking deeply. Nora entered the room from a door that led into another room, humming as she made her way to the bathroom. They were lucky, since the team had managed to take up occupancy in one of the few dorms with two rooms, separating Nora and Ren from the others. The women were dressed in the same dress code attire as team RWBY, but the men wore a slightly different set: a black, golden lined suit with a blue vest and white shirt underneath, as well as a red tie at the neck and matching dress pants.

Just as Nora closed the bathroom door, Jaune finished working his clothes. He stood silent for a moment, then turned to Pyrrha.

"Are you feeling okay?" Jaune asked compassionately.

Pyrrah glanced up and smiled, but was distracted by the sounds of commotion coming from team RWBY's room nearby, "What could they be doing in there?" she chuckled, looking down again.

Jaune scratched the back of his neck as walked to her, "I'm sure they're fine. Probably just rough housing." he sat on the bed next to her, and joined the view of the rugged floor. "Hey, Pyrrha?"

She looked to him again, this time with concern in her eyes, "Yes, Jaune?"

He stayed silent long enough to create an awkward feeling, before he finally spoke, "I still don't know...if I can do this."

"Don't be ridiculous." Pyrrha tried to place a hand on his shoulder, but pulled away before contact, placing it on her lap instead. "We believe in you. You must have been chosen for a reason."

Jaune's eyes seemed empty his hair feathered over his face. As he thought of a way to reply, he glanced around the room, his eyes meeting the pink and white rug that Nora gave them, the mint green walls that glowed in the sun's light, and the stains on the side of the tall bookshelf next to the entrance of the other bedroom.

"With so many people relying on me, I just don't want to screw it up is all."

Pyrrha glanced out of the window, staring at the bright rooftops of the residential district, "I know exactly what we should do."

Jaune distracted himself from his feelings, a grin breaking through, "What did you have mind?"

Pyrrha turned her attention back to him with a smile. In the moment, Jaune took notice of her expression, which somehow took away his worry. There was something about her grin that surprised him, yet he could not seem to discern the reason for it.

"We're going out to Beacon park today!" she said. "The sky is just too bright today to let it go to waste."

...

At team RWBY's dorm room, the decorations had finally been set. Ruby Rose stood at the entrance, her fingers placed in front of her eyes and forming a square like a picture frame as she bit down on her tongue and surveyed the room.

"Good job team!" she pulled her fingers apart and clapped them together, swaying her arms up and down as she stood on her heels. "Mission complete!"

Her teammates stared at the room, all of them making troubled faces.

"Uhh, sis..." Yang relieved the silence.

"Yep?" Ruby stilled herself as she switched between pouting and smiling.

"I think we should rethink this one." Yang replied, her brow raised.

On the west side, Ruby and Weiss' beds were stacked atop each other with wooden planks nailed and taped together, forcing them into a bunk bed. To the east end, Yang's bed rested on the floor with the sheets perfectly flat on the mattress, while Blake's bed frame hung above ground from several ropes tied to hooks in the ceiling. A red freshly washed red curtain was draped over the window, though the bottom end had been diagonally sliced off. Ovular smiley faces were drawn on many parts of the walls, and several knick-knacks were haphazardly placed.

"My side has some charm to it." Blake said, removing the ribbon tied to the collar of her shirt. "Maybe if someone didn't have servants to do everything for them, they'd know how to decorate."

Yang rolled her eyes, "Oh, boy."

Weiss grunted, throwing her arms down and screaming at Blake from behind Ruby, "I bet you grew up in a tree house? Explains why your side looks like a filthy jungle!"

Blake faced Weiss, taking a step forward before Ruby spread her arms outward and deescalated the situation, "Stop!" the two stepped away, Yang sighing as she walked around the group and approached her bed. "No fighting."

Ruby removed her scroll from her pocket, lighting the screen and bringing the electronic Hunter's Constitution into view, "It says right here, 'All Hunters must abide the by leaders code of conduct.' Can't you guys just talk things out?"

Blake turned away, walking toward the side of the room she shared with the other Branwen girl, while Weiss waved her hand and closed her eyes as she began reorganizing clutter.

"Oh," Ruby's head fell forward, "we've got a lot of work to do..."

...

Ozpin sat in his office with the light of a bright day shining through the window. He was fixated on a single object, resting alone on his desk, as lonely as himself. It was photograph, one containing four individuals that were of great significance to him, each of them standing together like comrades. a single tree and a blue sky over them.

Then, he heard the sound of his elevator door opening, followed by footsteps, which came closer with each beat. He did not bother a glance, for whomever they belonged to was of no importance to him at the moment. Instead, he kept his eyes on the photograph, as if he was entranced by it. Then, the footsteps stopped, the guest in his office waiting for acknowledgment.

"I see you've been busy." said the man.

Ozpin looked up, finding James Ironwood, the General of the Atlesian Military, dressed in a white coat and a black undershirt, a red tie on is neck and the emblem of Atlas on his cuffs. He was a man of tall stature; his hair was impressively dark and cleanly cut with faded gray along his temples. His chin was broad, and his stance was firm, as if to make a statement of his military background.

"Sorry about your hotel troubles." Ozpin stood, sliding his chair under his desk. "I had no intention to keep you waiting. There are enemies of this Kingdom somewhere in our borders that must be dealt with."

James replied, "I take it we're not here to discuss obvious matters. You said this concerns the Brotherhood?"

Ozpin was quiet for some time, before her finally replied, "Summer Rose had a daughter, and she is here at this academy as we speak."


End file.
